How to Deal with Difficult Customers over Live Chat

Customer service operators deal with a large array of challenging situations every day, making them the unsung heroes of any customer support team. But even heroes need help sometimes. When customers contact operators in rage, the clock is ticking, and there’s tension from the moment a chat starts to the moment of resolution. The ability to defuse this tension and effectively handle difficult customers can make the difference between a strong team of motivated operators, and a powerless team in which operators admit to defeat long before finding a resolution.

To make matters worse, customers are increasingly turning to the Internet to air their grievances, which can negatively impact business if your customer support channels are underperforming. This is a problem that affects your bottom line—according to the Customer Rage Study, in 2013 over 76 billion dollars were at risk as a result of issues with products and services.

But there is hope. According to the aforementioned Customer Rage Study, 80% of customers who have an issue with a product or service will complain to the responsible entity — that means that in most cases where a service or good fails, customer service has the ability to turn things around for the company. Unfortunately, at least half of support teams are failing to seize this opportunity. The number of those surveyed who felt complaining was worthwhile dropped from 61% in 2011 to 50% in 2013.

This guide will help your support team make every chat worthwhile for customers. It will serve you on your journey to high retention rates and customer satisfaction. Remember, a difficult customer is nothing more than a customer who hasn’t been served to the fullest potential.