Handling Upset Customers Effectively

2009 was a challenging year for a lot of the organizations we work with.  One in particular was presented with the challenge of keeping their client services staff motivated. The company was an investment firm and with all the fluctuations in the market, the staff in this particular organization had to deal with an unusual amount of upset and frustrated customers.   What I thought was so great about this situation was the approach of senior management. They recognized the signs of stress right away and contacted me to ask for assistance to connect them with one of my alliance member.  After several discussions we agreed the best approach was a motivational message that was prefaced by a powerful communication from the President.  We chose to do a lunch and learn so we could minimize the amount to time away from the phones.  It was important that they all be in the same room together so they could create a new united energy to take back to their desks.

I chose an experienced speaker who was able to deliver a motivating message and also provide them with some practical tools to skillfully handle an upset customer and tools to cope with their own inner anxiety and stress.  During my last conversation with this client she said the staff still talk about how much they appreciated the organization recognizing their need and addressing it right away.  It clearly communicated that the company cares about the well-being of their employees.