EP 208 – Get to Know Your Customer

I have been asked about how to ensure that irate customers don’t rattle your staff.

The first step is to understand that negative attitudes and behaviours are usually expressed when our customers are stressed out or they just don’t have the energy to use better communication skills, judgment and manners.

Being stressed out is chronic in today’s society. Our customers often have too much to do, too many decisions to make, and are usually running behind schedule.

The difficulty behind the negative attitudes and behaviours of our customers is that they are highly “toxic” to our team.

As the leader, there are several steps that you can take to ensure that your staff can effectively handle the best and the worst in these customers.

So Here are today’s Hot Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating #GettoKnowYourCustomerDay

1. Discuss the types of customers that your team may encounter ahead of time.

What are some of the common complaints that your staff may face? Share past experiences and horror stories with each other and prepare answers and solutions ahead of time. Preparation allows your staff to feel more confident in dealing with these difficult customers and not absorb the negativity.

2. Teach your staff how to keep their composure, be assertive and know exactly what it is they want to communicate. Help them to get comfortable with those customers who need to vent and express themselves – however let them know that they do not need to tolerate abuse.

As the leader, you play a very important role in preventing customer negativity from rattling your team.

Looking for resources to build your resiliency? Check out my Live Smart blog at worksmartlivesmart.com