Customers seek the assistance of Philippine call centres for many reasons. More often than not, those who dial 1-800 numbers are subscribers who have issues and concerns that need to be fixed immediately.
Almost every call centre agent in the Philippines has experienced handling a transaction from an irate customer. Times like these test an agent's patience and customer service skills since the main goal is to pacify and make the experience better for the caller. Customers call in daily with different concerns, problems and even personalities. Here are some of the most common irate callers and ways on how to deal with each one.
Shoestring callers are customers who do not necessarily have a real issue. In most cases, they casually call to vent a personal concern with the product or even with their personal lives (it happens). With nobody else to hear them out, they contact customer service and blow off steam.
Agents should fix the problem immediately to make room for more important customers on queue. Upon realizing the level of urgency, call center agents should promptly inform the customer that it is not a difficult case to fix and offer a solution right away.
Serious complaints are the most important issues of the day's transactions. Concerned individuals are legitimate victims of a problem that came about because of the company's mistake. Factory defects, obsolete terms and conditions or faulty information are usually the causes of these calls.
When these types of calls are received, it is imperative that these are solved immediately once and for all. Unresolved issues can lead to further concerns or even a lawsuit. An apology, empathy, escalation or even replacement are the best solutions.
Almost every customer is irate. However, the most difficult to deal with are the enraged and profane. Callers in this category shout at the first hello and will say the most hurtful and vulgar words. Many inbound call centres consider this abuse and do not tolerate such interaction.
To handle instances like these, it is best to let the customer know that help can be done. However, the profanity must be put to an end first or the call will have to be ended. Threats are usually empty and are not meant. So it is also advisable to bring about the benefits of the service when they are pacified already.