Module 10 understanding when to escalate. providing great customer service does not mean you have to put up with threats, intimidation or vulgar language from customers. If customers are out of control, you need to take over the situation and protect yourself, dealing with vulgarity. Showing anger for many people involves expressing themselves using language which would be considered vulgar. What one person considers being vulgar may not be considered vulgar by the next person. However, there are certain words and phrases which it is agreed are to be avoided in polite conversation.

When making a complaint customer should realize that it is wise to avoid such words and phrases as it is no more likely to get their problem solved. However, the fact remains that sometimes people will resort to such expressions of anger. And as a customer service provider, it is up to you to decide what you will allow and what you don't. The danger of allowing a customer to use a mild profanity without passing comment on it is that they will possibly decide that anything goes if they can get away with a mild swear word, then they may try their luck with something more graphic and insulting it wise, even if you're not offended by profanity to advise them that you cannot continue the conversation if they're going to use profanities, the danger otherwise is that they can begin to outdo themselves. It is not about what personally offends you.

There are many of us who are not in the least offended by swearing, and there are probably few who have not used at least a mild swear word in a moment of pain, frustration or anger. However, using them towards people is different. You do not know how every person will react and it is a simple matter of politeness to keep language clean when dealing with official issues. Develop your own policy with profanity from customers, but always bear in mind that there are other customers around and to allow swearing to continue or escalate does not affect just you coping with insults. insults are never nice to hear particularly when we feel that they are undeserved. When a customer begins to be insulting towards you, it can be embarrassing and it is always uncalled for.

Very often the insult will be prompted more by what you are done by who you are. They will be insulting the company by directing the insult at you but it is not Less unpleasant as a result? Well, some swear words or insults not all insults or swear words. And while a profanity may not offend you, it may well be the case that an insult will contain no profanity, but some extremely personal jobs. The simple fact is that you are not paid to listen to abuse. If a customer has insulted you, it is up to you how you will react.

But as with profanity, it is worth remembering that should they get away with one insult they may feel emboldened to go further. Because most companies and individuals have a policy of not dealing with a customer who behaves in an insulting way. A customer who becomes insulting can be considered to have left aside any legitimate complaints and settled for a tirade. You may demand an apology before continuing or you may immediately refuse to deal any further but the customer it is unwise to simply let an insult go and behave as if the customer deserves the same respect another customer would get. As with swearing, it is wise to consider other customers in the case of a customer behaving insultingly one frequent outcome of insults being traded or directed is that thing escalate to a more confrontational pitch, something which will make customers nervous and often afraid. As you have to consider customers comfort It is therefore essential that you do not allow an atmosphere of hostility to persist, dealing with legal and physical threats.

Legal and physical threats from angry customers are both serious but they call for different types of response, autoresponder legal threats, do not attempt to offer your own interpretation of the legal issues involved. Tell the customer that you are not in a position to speak for your company on legal matters unless you are inform your supervisor immediately. How to respond to physical threats. When a customer makes a physical threat. Your number one priority is to protect yourself and your co workers get help immediately either from your co workers or from security personnel. Inform your supervisor immediately.

Occasionally, in a situation where a customer feels that their complaint has not been dealt with satisfactorily, they will decide to bring out the big guns. Depending on the way the customer's mind works. This may be via the means of threats of legal action. Are threats of a more physical nature. The two types of threat differ significantly, where legal threats are concerned it is somewhat possible that they might have reason on their side. It is unwise in these cases to get into a legal argument with a customer.

You are not there to debate issues but to look for solutions. It is wise simply to state that you are not in a position to comment on legal matters, but that you will pass their message on where physical threats are concerned it is a different matter entirely. A legal threat may have some basis in case law. No customer has a right to threaten or direct personal violence towards any member of staff. physical and verbal assault are both illegal and should be treated seriously. Even if your instinct is to respond to a threat by fronting up to the customer and stating that you doubt their seriousness or capability.

It should be resisted as this can be considered provocation. You should always report an instance of any physical threat. Someone who threatens you might threaten anyone else. And no matter how much of a fake and a coward you judge them to be, they might follow through on the threat. In both cases, your supervisor Are should be advised to the threat that has been made. If the threat is physical, the last thing you want is for a potentially violent individual to be in the general area when you or your coworkers are leaving work.

However much you may doubt their ability to make good on their threat, they cannot be allowed to make other people's lives uncomfortable. Case Study. Kevin was the only sales representative available at the paper distribution company he worked for at the time, he was nearly ready to leave his shift, but an angry customer came in demanding help. The customer insisted he had been wronged in the utmost degree and that he would pursue legal action against the company. Having heard him out and thought his claim would be unjustified, but instead only told the customer that he was not responsible for the company's legal matters. The customer only got more upset and called Kevin a rude insult.

Kevin informed the man that he did not have to continue to help a customer that insults him and left for the end of his shift. thankful to be away from the man