Approximately 90 percent of consumers will repeatedly buy from businesses that offer excellent customer services. Nowadays, with more competition than ever, companies should be focusing on what they can do to improve in this area so they stay profitable. If you want to strengthen your customer experience strategy, start here. These steps can help you turn negative experiences into positive outcomes.

1. Remain Calm and Collected

In a situation where you are dealing with a disgruntled customer, they may initially shout and criticize you and the company you represent. The best thing to do in that moment is take a breath and stay calm. Remind yourself that it’s not a personal attack on you, even if it feels like it. They usually find it difficult to stay angry at someone who is speaking to them in a calm respectful manner. Remaining calm helps you stay in control and shows the customer you’re focused on helping, not escalating the situation.

2. Listen with Purpose

Listen to the customer carefully to ensure you have a full understanding of their concern. A helpful way to open the conversations is to say something like, ”Let’s start by going over what happened.” This shows that you’re open, willing to listen, and ready to help. Resist the urge to interrupt and jump in with a quick fix. Instead, give them a chance to explain what happened before you come to a conclusion.

3. Repeat Their Concerns

By now you should have a clearer idea of what the problem is and how it came about. Once they’ve shared their experience, restate their concerns to confirm you fully understand. Use calm, neutral language. For instance, “As I understand it, you are upset about not receiving the items promised to you yesterday.”

Reiterating the issue back to the customer reassures them that you were listening carefully and understand their situation. Not only will they feel heard, but it will also help lower their stress levels.

4. Apologize and be Empathetic

An apology can go a long way. Once you’ve established the problem, be sure to apologize and be empathetic. If you are dealing with the customer in person or over the phone, let your tone reflect your empathy. If you’re writing an email, be intentional with your wording so your sincerity comes through clearly.

5. Focus on Solutions

Finally, it’s time to offer a solution. If you already know what your customer wants, offer them a solution that will appease them, as long as it’s within your capacity to do so. For instance, if a customer needs some samples by tomorrow, you could suggest delivering the samples to them directly if they are not based too far away. However, if that is not an option then you could send the samples using an overnight delivery service. This shows the customer that you are doing everything you can to address their concern.

If the customer isn’t satisfied with your suggestions, ask them directly: “What would be a fair resolution for you?” This allows you to work with them to meet the requirement if it’s a reasonable suggestion.

Once the issue is resolved, take time to document the situation and look for ways to prevent this problem from happening again. By approaching these customers with patience and empathy, you can turn frustration into loyalty and protect your company’s reputation in the long run.