You're listening to Business English Pod, the Business English podcast for professionals on the move.
Welcome back to Business English Pod.
My name's Edwin and I'll be your host for this episode, the first of a two-part series on dealing with an angry caller.
We've all dealt with angry people before.
But dealing with an angry person on the phone in a business setting can be tricky.
Sometimes you don't know the person, so his or her situation may be completely new to you.
You can't see the person, so you can't read facial expressions or body language.
Sometimes the person yells or talks so quickly that you can't understand exactly what they mean.
And sometimes they might be rude, which could make you angry yourself.
Successfully handling an angry caller is an important skill.
Often, these callers are customers, and you don't want to lose their business.
Satisfied customers will return and recommend your company to others.
Angry callers will do the opposite.
So in today's lesson we'll cover ways to calm down angry callers using a calm tone of voice, and let them know you're listening.
We'll also look at language for acknowledging an angry customer's feelings and frustrations by showing empathy.
Finally, we'll talk about ways to clarify problems so you can solve them quickly.
Let's hear how Diana, a customer care agent for a credit card company, handles Jay, an angry customer whose credit card has been locked or disabled.
As you listen to the dialogue, try to answer the following questions.
1.
What city is Jay visiting?
2.
What did Jay buy his wife for her birthday?
3.
When was Jay's credit card locked?
Customer Care Diana speaking.
How can I help you?
Well, I'm here in Paris, and my credit card's been locked.
How the hell am I supposed to keep traveling when I can't access any credit?
What's going on here?
Please, sir, I'm here to help.
Just try to relax a bit.
We'll get this all straightened out.
Now, tell me what happened.
All right.
I bought my wife a necklace for her birthday.
Go on.
And when I tried to use my card again, it was locked.
I understand why that would be frustrating.
So let's get to the bottom of it.
All right.
So you said that your card was locked right after the purchase for your wife?
That's what I said.
Okay.
First, let me get some information from you.
Can I have your name, please?
And your date of birth, sir?
Jay sure is angry, isn't he?
Let's look at the dialogue in more detail and see how Diana handles it.
What happens first?
Customer care, Diana speaking.
How can I help you?
Well, I'm here in Paris and my credit card's been locked.
How the hell am I supposed to keep traveling when I can't access any credit?
What's going on here?
Please, sir, I'm here to help.
Just try to relax a bit.
We'll get this all straightened out.
Now, tell me what happened.
Jay is upset because his credit card has been locked.
This means it's been temporarily disabled and he can't use it at all.
Since he's traveling, this is definitely a problem.
Diana calms him down though, telling him to relax and assuring him that they'll get this all straightened out.
This means they'll determine what the problem is and fix it.
Another way to say this is to figure something out.
Calming down an angry caller can be a challenge.
Usually, it helps to let the caller know you intend to help.
Diana uses positive language, saying just try to relax, to assure Jay that his issue can be resolved easily.
Notice how Diana uses a calm tone of voice.
She doesn't get defensive or upset when she hears how angry Jay is.
Now let's practice some examples of what you can say to calm down an angry customer using a calm tone.
Please try to calm down.
We'll figure everything out.
You sound very upset.
Let's take a deep breath and start over.
Don't worry.
We're going to take care of this today.
In the next exchange, Jay is still somewhat angry, but at least he's no longer yelling.
What does Diana do?
All right.
I bought my wife a necklace for her birthday.
Go on.
When Diana says, go on, she shows Jay that she's listening to him.
It may not sound that powerful, but sometimes just showing the customer you're paying attention can start turning things around.
It shows customers that you take them seriously and that their concerns are important to you.
Letting someone know you're listening can be a short statement or question, like in these examples.
Please continue.
So, what happened after you tried to buy the airline tickets?
And then...
Okay.
I'm listening.
Got that.
So what happened next?
Next, Diana acknowledges how Jay is feeling.
And when I tried to use my card again, it was locked.
I understand why that would be frustrating.
So let's get to the bottom of it.
Getting to the bottom of something is another way to say.
You'll determine what the problem is and will work to fix it.
But notice how Diana also says, let's get to the bottom of it.
By using the word let's, she shows Jay that they're a team working together toward a solution, not adversaries working against each other.
Diana says she understands why Jay would be frustrated.
And it really isn't hard to understand, is it?
Who wouldn't be upset by a locked credit card when you're traveling?
Diana's putting herself in Jay's place and letting him know she's on his side.
She wants to find a solution as much as he does.
Angry callers usually have a valid reason for being upset.
They often don't intend to vent their frustrations to the person who answers the phone.
Empathizing with callers and showing you understand their feelings is another way to make them feel they matter to your company.
Here are some other ways to acknowledge a customer's feelings and frustrations.
I can understand why you're so upset.
No customer should be on hold for that long.
You're right.
Sounds like a huge hassle.
Let's work to fix it.
Oh, that must be frustrating.
Let's see what we can do.
I don't blame you for feeling angry.
We'll make it right.
Let's look at some of the vocabulary in this set of examples.
If something is a hassle, it's a problem or inconvenience.
If you tell someone, I don't blame you, it means you understand or support someone's reasoning.
And to make it right means to correct something, especially when it has caused a problem for someone else.
Back to the dialogue.
Jay is a little calmer now, so Diana can get more details about his problems.
So you said that your card was locked right after the purchase for your wife?
That's what I said.
Sometimes, when a caller is angry, yelling and talking fast, it's hard to determine the main problem.
Here Diana states her understanding of the situation using a questioning tone, so that Jay can confirm.
Once she's clear on the issue, she can go ahead and help him.
There are many ways to clarify a problem.
Sometimes it's easiest just to restate it as you understand it in your own words, like Diana did.
Or you can introduce your statement with a phrase like if I understand correctly, or I just want to make sure I've got it right.
Let's run through some more examples.
So, you wanted tickets for the 8 p.m. show but received tickets to the matinee instead?
If I understand correctly, the shipment arrived two days late and you missed your deadline.
I just want to make sure I've got it right.
You believe you were overcharged by $153.
Your boss's name was misspelled on the plaque.
Is that correct?
Let's go over a couple more vocabulary words we've just heard.
A matinee is a performance or play that occurs in the daytime instead of the evening.
And if you overcharge someone, you charge more money than the other person expected.
Now, let's practice some of the language we've covered today.
First we'll practice language that can be used to acknowledge an angry caller's feelings and frustrations.
You'll hear a customer comment, followed by a prompt.
Use the language in the prompt to respond to the customer's comment.
For example, if you hear, I really needed that shipment yesterday.
Prompt.
Understand.
I understand why you're frustrated.
We'll fix this right away.
We'll play an example answer after each question.
Are you ready?
Let's give it a go.
You sent me the wrong order prompt.
Frustrating what we can do.
Example answer.
That must be frustrating.
Let's see what we can do.
Our company name is misspelled on all the letterhead prompt understand upset.
Fix it today.
Example answer.
I understand why you're upset.
We'll fix it today.
Everything in the shipment was broken.
We can't use anything.
Prompt.
Don't blame you.
Angry.
Make it right.
Example answer.
I don't blame you for being angry.
We'll make it right.
You left me on hold for 20 minutes.
That's terrible.
Prompt, right, customer, hold, that long.
Example answer.
You're right.
No customer should be on hold that long.
Now, let's practice useful vocabulary and idioms.
You'll hear a series of sentences with a word replaced with a beep.
Repeat the whole sentence saying the missing word.
For example, if you hear, Your company me by $78.
You can say, Your company overcharged me by $78.
After each response, we'll play the correct answer.
Let's begin.
I don't... you for being angry.
Answer.
I don't blame you for being angry.
My credit card was... last week.
Answer.
My credit card was locked last week.
The heavy traffic makes driving to the office such a... Answer.
The heavy traffic makes driving to the office such a hassle.
Don't worry.
We'll get to the... of this.
Answer.
Don't worry.
We'll get to the bottom of this.
We've reached the end of this episode, the first of a two-part series on dealing with angry callers on the telephone.
We've talked about how to calm them down using a calm tone.
We've discussed how to let angry callers know you're listening and how to acknowledge their frustrations.
And we've covered ways to clarify the problem.
Thanks for listening, and see you next time.
