Dissatisfied or Rude Customers Can Be Satisfied Customers

On a recent airline flight I was an upset customer. I was arriving on a late inbound flight and connecting with the last flight out on the same airline, but the connecting flight left without me! At first, I was furious when told to wait in a line of 300 people to resolve my problem. But I used my time to "people watch", and I made some valuable observations.

I saw that the customers who approached one ticket agent with a smile, sense of humor or other positive behaviors were walking away in a positive state. The agent looked and sounded kinder and more empathetic when helping those folks. The customers who approached another agent with a visibly sour attitude seemed to evoke a negative response from the agent, and they walked away looking angry.

Both sets of people had similar intentions - to get their problem resolved. But the people who approached the agent angrily got a much less satisfying response. Whatever their intention, the message they sent evoked a negative response. I decided to emulate the other group of people, the ones who approached the agent with a smile and a positive attitude. The result? I walked away with a newly scheduled flight and some upgrades as the airline's way of making amends.

This illustrates a principle of neurolinguistics -- The real meaning of a message is the response it triggers. Knowing this, you can control the experience your customers have when they come to you for service. They may choose to behave rudely, but don't let it trigger a negative response in you, the way it did with the ticket agent I observed. Remember that dissatisfied customers all have the same goal in communicating with you - to get their problem resolved. The ones who are trying to achieve that goal by using rude behavior are going about it the wrong way, maybe because they mistakenly think it's the best way to get results. Treat them in a pleasant, positive manner, and in most cases you'll succeed in triggering a positive response from them.

This is worth repeating: no matter how customers approach you about their need or problem they all want the same thing: to achieve customer satisfaction. Don't take their negative behavior personally, because they're not being rude for rudeness' sake. As a person who works with customers, your behavior should be guided by a belief that you can leave the customer in a better state than when they approached you. You can do that by using a positive, upbeat manner and language to evoke a positive response in your customers.

Copyright© Patricia Weber, http://www.prostrategies.com.

Pat Weber is a coach, certified telelcass leader, and corporate trainer. With her incisive, effective communication skills, her services can put problem solving in your own hands, by helping you increase your choices and build your self-confidence. With personal coaching, a teleclass, an online email course or on- site workshop, get what you want, more easily and more often. Visit her website at http://www.prostrategies.com. Contact her for a free coaching session.

---

When a Customer Has Done Everything to Get Your Goat

You try to make your customers happy. You sincerely WANT... Read More

Are You A Coward? I Was

Over the last month, I have come to hate emails... Read More

Customer Service A Chickens Way

Anyone who knows me knows my favorite fast food restaurant... Read More

Learning from Your Employees and Customers Complaints

Listening to complaints, whether they're reasonable or not, is a... Read More

How to Keep Customers

Who was it that said - "The customer is always... Read More

How to Retain Your Customers the Dish Network Way

Customer retention is vital to a business. If you cannot... Read More

One of the Secrets of a Great Customer Experience

A few weeks ago we conducted our annual "Customer Experience... Read More

Dont Forget your Existing Clients

Quest for new clients shouldn't ignore those who pay the... Read More

At Your Service: The Ten Commandments of Great Customer Service!

Customer service is an integral part of our job and... Read More

Caring for Your Customers

You probably think I am going to say something like,... Read More

Importance of Good Customer Support in Online Computer Peripherals Shops

Looking for hi-fi computer peripherals? Finding it tough to decide... Read More

Making Your Contacts Work For You

The best way to explain this concept is to tell... Read More

4 Tips Toward Overcoming Bad Customer Service

Customer service is the pits, you say. You are not... Read More

Boomerang Customers- What You Might NOT Think Brings Them Back!

With all of the calendars and PDA's and lists I... Read More

Everyone talks in code!

How often have you left a meeting with a customer... Read More

Do You Want More Profits? - Follow The Golden Rules Of Providing Good Customer Service

Last night I was at my computer and a Skype... Read More

My Child Has Opie Eye!

7:00 a.m., the silence in the house is broken by... Read More

What Do Your Clients REALLY Think of You?

I'd like to start this article with a test ?What... Read More

The Death of the Loyal Customer

One of my classes in management focused on the repeat... Read More

Whats For Lunch?

As an entrepreneur, I'm always intrigued by small businesses, home-based... Read More

The Number 1 Rule for Businesses - Be Professional

Have you ever walked into a store and things looked... Read More

One Critical Question to Ask Yourself Every Day

What happened to the old saying, the customer is always... Read More

How To Handle Customer Billing Snafus

Q: I just discovered that for the past six months... Read More

Dissatisfied or Rude Customers Can Be Satisfied Customers

On a recent airline flight I was an upset... Read More

8 Critical Steps to Establish a Customer Service Culture

"Every company's greatest assets are its customers, because without customers... Read More

Customer Service: Why Bears Make Bad Customers

Every business owner should have a picture of his or... Read More

5 Golden Online/Offline Business Rules To LIVE Or DIE By

Whether online or off, if you plan on running or... Read More

Whatever Happened To Customer Service?

Do you remember the last time you went into a... Read More

Automating Your Customer Support

My regular readers will know that one of the things... Read More

Accountants / Lawyers Do Yourself a Favor - What do Your Customers Want?

In my day to day practice in strategic human resource... Read More

Retail Store U-Scan Machines: Self-Serve or Voluntary Part Time Job?

Do many of us realize that we are working an... Read More

Is Your CRM (Customer Relationship Management) System Doomed To Fail?

"Right, People. Let's blast out that mail campaign we've been... Read More

How to Easily Increase Your Profits

Do you remember the last time you went into a... Read More