Tips for Addressing Upset Customer Situations

It’s taking a beat before reacting. Especially when you want to explode. This is a superpower that we all possess but it takes strength to choose it. Here are a few suggestions on how… 1. **Pause and Breathe**: Take a moment to breathe deeply. Count to ten or take a few deep breaths. This helps to calm your nerves and gives you a moment to collect your thoughts. 2. **Identify Your Feelings**: Acknowledge your emotions. Are you angry, hurt, or disappointed? Understanding your feelings is the first step to managing them. 3. **Reframe Your Thoughts**: Instead of focusing on the negative aspects of the person or situation, try to see things from their perspective. This can help you empathize with them. 4. **Choose Your Words Wisely**: When you respond, think about how your words will affect them. Aim to express your feelings calmly. You might say something like, "I feel frustrated when this happens," instead of attacking the person. 5. **Take a Break**: If emotions are running high, it might be a good idea to walk away for a little while. This allows both parties to cool down before re-engaging in a conversation. 6. **Practice Active Listening**: When you talk, listen to what the other person has to say without interrupting. This shows respect and can help you understand their viewpoint better. 7. **Focus on Solutions**: Instead of dwelling on the negative behavior, try to discuss ways to improve the situation or prevent it from happening again in the future. 8. **Use Humor**: If appropriate, a light-hearted joke can diffuse tension. Just make sure it’s in good taste and won’t come across as sarcastic. 9. **Set Boundaries**: Being kind doesn’t mean you have to accept bad behavior. If necessary, assertively set boundaries while maintaining a respectful tone. 10. **Reflect Later**: After the interaction, take some time to reflect. What strategies worked? What could you do differently next time? This helps you grow and handle future conflicts with more grace. Remember, kindness doesn’t mean you have to suppress your feelings. Being kind while addressing issues can lead to healthier and more constructive relationships. #BeKind #KindnessisaStrength #

I recently had an intense meeting with an aggressive audit client. Dealing with high-pressure situations and managing stress is part of the job. But this meeting was a lesson in patience, empathy, and strategic communication. Here are 5 invaluable lessons I learned in those exhausting 2 hours: 1. 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘀:    In face of aggressive questioning,    emotional neutrality is key.        Stick to the data, the facts,    and the audit issues. 2. 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝗱, 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝘁:    Emotional reactions can    escalate conflict.        A calm, collected response    can help diffuse tension. 3. 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘆:    Often, aggression comes    from feeling unheard.        Active listening shows    respect for their views and    can smooth the conversation. 4. 𝗕𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗺 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗳𝘂𝗹:    Standing your ground is critical,    but it's important to maintain respect.        Our words reflect our professional integrity. 5. 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳-𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲:    Post meeting, it's crucial to destress.        A few minutes of deep breathing,    a walk, or even a cup of tea    can help reset your emotional state. Have you faced similar situations? How do you deal with aggressive clients? ---------------------------------- Hi there, I'm Rob. I teach people (especially auditors) how to become awesome. ---------------------------------- Repost ♻️ if you found this useful Let's Connect --->Robert Berry #thatauditguy #internalaudit

𝗡𝗼 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘂𝗽𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻. I was helping a client uncover what kind of life insurance policy he had.  He had started the conversation saying he is covered for life. I’m like that is great, but if you’ll let me, I’ll review it for you.  We did go over the policy and he realized He had a 20-year term policy. He has been paying for 12 years and in 8 years this policy will expire.  This was a shock for him. All he knew was he had coverage and did not need any more.  That’s the thing, most people don’t know what they have. This guy, however, became super angry.  He cursed the agent, cursed the company, gave my own fair share. But in that moment, I remembered to remove myself from the situation emotionally.  Like a good salesperson, I had learned. In scenarios like this: →Hear them out.   →Be patient. →Be tactful. →Empathize.   →Acknowledge their importance. →Articulate your response slowly. →Never grant them permission to control you.  It is very important to reassure your client that you’re doing everything to find a solution for them. However, if the situation escalates physically, then remove yourself from the scene physically.  I’ve seen so many people match up the energy of the upset client. This only leads to a really unpleasant sales experience and no help rendered to the client.  With my client, after I got him to my very calm state. We were able to see past the issue and find a more permanent solution.  Just remember, If you give people the permission, they will upset you.    PS: What is your trick to calm down an upset client?  ----------------------------------------------------------- 𝘐'𝘮 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘢 𝘈𝘥𝘢𝘣𝘢, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐'𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘐 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘺, 𝘴𝘰 𝘐'𝘮 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴. #cashvaluequeen

Saying "this might hurt" is not the best way to soften the blow of a difficult conversation. 📌 The phrase "this might hurt" can be confusing and misleading. It can make the other person feel defensive or anxious, and it can make it difficult for them to hear what you have to say. Instead of saying, "This might hurt," it is better to be direct and honest about what you need to say. State the issue clearly and concisely, and explain how it is impacting you. For example, instead of saying, "This might hurt, but I need to talk to you about your work performance," you could say, "I'm concerned about your recent work performance. It's not meeting my expectations, and it is impacting our team." It is also essential to be open to the other person's perspective. Be willing to listen to their concerns and try to understand their point of view. This will help you to have a more productive conversation. Here are some ideas to help you deliver difficult feedback: Set aside time for the conversation. Don't try to have a difficult conversation when you are rushed, stressed, or hungry. Instead, schedule a time to talk when you can both be focused and present. Choose a private location. Have the conversation in a place where you will not be interrupted and where you feel comfortable speaking freely. Focus on the behavior, not the person. Avoid personal attacks or generalizations. Instead, focus on the specific behavior that is concerning you. Be specific and provide examples. Don't just say that the person is "doing something wrong." Instead, give specific examples of the behavior that is problematic, as you want to give them a chance to find a solution. Be open to feedback, even if you think your needs and expectations are precise. It is possible that your message was misinterpreted or that the other person has a different perspective. Be willing to concede their point of view and be open to hearing their feedback. They may have some valid points that you did not consider. If you realize that you made a mistake, apologize. Remember, difficult conversations aim not to hurt the other person. It is to communicate your needs and expectations in a way that will lead to an improved outcome. By being direct and honest and by being open to the other person's perspective, you can have more productive and effective difficult conversations. 🧙♂️ Imagine that you have a magic wand that can make one thing about difficult conversations easier. What would it be? #management #humanresources #personaldevelopment #partnerships

How do you handle difficult conversations at work? Handling difficult conversations at work can be challenging, but following these steps can help you navigate them successfully: #1- Prepare beforehand: Think about what you want to say and the purpose of the conversation. Consider your goals, facts, and any evidence or examples to support your points. #2- Choose the right time and place: Find a suitable time and private space to have the conversation. Ensure you won't be interrupted or overheard. #3- Stay calm and composed: Keep your emotions in check and remain professional throughout the conversation. It's essential to approach it with a level head. #4- Active listening: Give the other person a chance to express their thoughts and feelings without interruption. Demonstrate that you genuinely value their input and perspective by actively listening. #5- Empathy and understanding: Show empathy by acknowledging the other person's feelings and concerns. Be understanding, and validate their experience without dismissing or minimizing their emotions. #6- Be clear and concise: Present your thoughts and concerns in a clear and concise manner. Use "I" statements to express how you feel rather than placing blame on the other person. Focus on specific behaviors or situations rather than making generalizations. #7-Seek solutions collaboratively: Instead of focusing on blame or winning the argument, aim to find mutually beneficial solutions. Discuss and explore different options together, keeping the conversation focused on reaching a positive outcome. #8- Maintain professionalism: Even if the conversation becomes heated or emotional, remember to stay professional and respectful. Avoid personal attacks or derogatory language. #9- Follow up: Once the conversation is over, summarize the discussed points and any agreed-upon actions in an email or written note. This ensures that both parties are clear about what was discussed and any next steps. #10- Learn from the experience: Take time to reflect on the conversation, identifying what worked well and what could be improved. Learning from the experience will help you handle future difficult conversations more effectively. Remember, difficult conversations are an opportunity for growth and improvement. To learn more about how to handle difficult conversations or to schedule time to talk with Dr. Linda about training for your leaders or your teams, click the link: https://lnkd.in/gyD5HmZt

I don’t get many disgruntled customers as an Airbnb Superhost, but every once in a while it happens. Yesterday was one of those days. (For reference, I have been hosting on Airbnb for over five years now.) Three years ago I would have rather locked myself in the closet as opposed to having even the slightest confrontational experience. Unfortunately that type of mindset makes interactions like this even worse. After some trial and error what I learned is that when I approach situations with confidence, calm, and care they almost always end positively. And, sure enough, with that in mind my tough conversation yesterday resulted in the customer asking how he could book with me in the future. ⭐ So whether you are dealing with a disgruntled customer, unhappy stakeholder, or emotional teenager, here are some tips for turning lemons into lemonade: ✅ Listen first.  ✅ Validate the other person’s feelings. ✅ Provide action-oriented solutions and follow through. #stakeholdermanagement #clientcare #airbnbsuperhost #confidencewins _______________________________________________________ 🔔 Follow me and ring the bell for more project management and leadership content! 📬 Interested in working with me as a coach or project consultant? My DMs are open! 📺 Check out my YT channel in the featured section of my profile to access over 150 FREE videos about the project management experience.

Don’t blow your cool… When you are working with customers you must be ready for the unexpected and for the occasional unhappy customers. So, it’s important to have a mindful way to remain calm when others may be out of control. 1. Get comfortable with pausing. Don’t imagine the worst when you encounter a little drama. When someone is acting irrationally, don’t join them by rushing to make a negative judgment call. Instead, pause and take a deep breath. A moment of calmness in a moment of tension can save you from a hundred moments of regret. 2. Think bigger. When we think bigger, we can see that small things matter very little in the grand scheme of things. It’s not worth our energy. 3. Respect people’s differences. Being kind to someone you dislike or disagree with doesn’t mean you’re fake. It means you’re mature enough to control your emotions and do the right thing. Just because someone does it differently doesn’t make it wrong. Period. 4. Put yourself in their shoes and give them grace. When you can put yourself in the other person’s shoes, you give them the space to regroup without putting any extra pressure on them. Hey, we all get upset and lose our temper sometimes. So, remind yourself that we are all more alike than we are different. When you catch yourself passing judgment, add “just like me sometimes” to the end of a sentence. 5. Don’t take things personally. If you take everything personally, you will be offended for the rest of your life. Even when it seems personal, rarely do people do things because of you, they do things because of them. The way people treat you is their problem, how you react is yours. 6. Create positive morning routines to start your day right. Don’t rush into your day by checking your phone or email. Create time and space for morning routines that get you moving in the right direction. 7. Cope using healthy choices and alternatives. When we face stressful situations, we often turn to unhealthy choices — drinking alcohol, eating sugary snacks, smoking, etc. It’s easy to respond to stress with unhealthy distractions. So, pay more attention to how you cope with stress, and replace bad coping habits with healthy coping habits. 8. Remind yourself of what’s right. At the end of the day, reflect on your small daily wins and all the little things that are going well. Count three things that happened during the day that you’re grateful for. And then pay it forward — do something for someone else that makes them grateful at the end of their day. 9. Establish and enforce healthy and reasonable boundaries. Practice becoming more aware of your feelings and needs. Note when you’re resentful of fulfilling someone else’s needs and gradually build healthy boundaries by saying no to requests that cause resentfulness in you. What else can you do to keep your cool when it seems everything is out of control? #personaldevelopment #motivation #customerrelations #leadership