A: Use fogging: “Sometimes people do want to speak to a manager about situations like these, and you are welcome to do so. I apologize that I can’t waive the repair fee.”
3. A diner expresses dissatisfaction with his meal and wants you to cancel the bill for his entire party of eight. He is threatening to contact a local food critic if you don’t. How do you respond to this?
A: Underreact to the threat: “I apologize that you weren’t happy with your meal, and I wouldn’t dream of telling you whom not to talk to. If it would help, I am prepared to offer you a discount on tonight’s bill.”
Chapter 10: The Wrap-Up
1. A customer angrily demanded a refund for a product after going on at great length about how horrible it was. She didn’t realize that you would be more than happy to give her a refund, and now she looks a little embarrassed about her behavior. What do you say?
A: Normalize the situation: “Situations like these frustrate a lot of people. In fact, I reacted very similarly when I was having constant problems with my food processor. I’m glad we could work this out.”
2. Someone calls your appliance service company and is extremely upset that no one showed up as scheduled the day before to make a repair. After rescheduling the appointment, what do you say before hanging up?
A: Provide a verbal receipt: “Let’s reconfirm what our plans are for tomorrow. We are going to make sure that someone arrives between noon and 2 p.m. at your house. In the event there are any delays, one of our staff will call you at your home number. And I want to encourage you to check in with me personally if there are any problems tomorrow. Finally, I want to apologize again for what happened yesterday, and we really appreciate your giving us a chance to make this situation right.”
3. A woman purchased several expensive pieces of equipment at your hardware store and was very picky and demanding about everything. You sense that she was getting exasperated with you as she kept pressing you with more questions. What might you say at the end of the transaction to help preserve her future business?
A: Reaffirm the customer relationship: “You’ve picked out some very good-quality pieces of equipment, and I’m glad we could help you. Please come back if we can help you with anything else in the future.”
References
Chapter 1: Understanding the “Uh-Oh” Moment
Shakespeare, William. Julius Caesar, act 3, sc. 2.
Chapter 5: Divide and Conquer: The Safe Way to Deliver Bad News
Davis, Dr. Nancy. “Death Notification Training Video.” Accessed July 4, 2012. http://drnancydavis.com/home/death-notification-training-video.
Chapter 8: Grounding an Angry Outburst
Frank, Robert. “Chinese Millionaire Smashes His Lamborghini.” Wall Street Journal blogs, March 18, 2011. http://blogs.wsj.com/wealth/2011/03/18/chinese-millionaire-smashes-his-200000-lamborghini/.
Berger, Joseph. “Years Later, Lawsuit Seeks to Recreate a Wedding.” New York Times, November 2, 2011.
Shaw, Russell. “75-Year-Old Woman Smashes Up Local Comcast Office with Hammer.” ZDNet.com, October 18, 2007. http://www.zdnet.com/blog/ip-telephony/75-year-old-woman-smashes-up-local-comcast-office-with-hammer/2605.
Chapter 9: Becoming Immune to Intimidation
Roth, Carol. The Entrepreneur Equation: Evaluating the Realities, Risks, and Rewards of Having Your Own Business. Dallas: BenBella, 2011.
Smith, Manuel J. When I Say No, I Feel Guilty. New York: Bantam, 1975.
Chapter 14: I’ll Be Suing You
Phillips Law Firm. “Medical Malpractice: Study Shows That Doctors Admitting Fault Lowers Number of Lawsuits,” August 2010. http://www.justiceforyou.com/2010/08/medical-malpractice-study-shows-that-doctors-admitting-fault-lowers-number-of-lawsuits/.
Kachalia, Allen, MD; Samuel L. Kaufman MA; Richard Boothman JD; Susan Anderson MBA, MSN; Kathleen Welch MBA, MPH; Sanjay Saint MD, MPH; and Mary A.M. Rogers PhD. “Liability Claims and Costs Before and After Implementation of a Medical Error Disclosure Program.” Annals of Internal Medicine, August 17, 2010, 153(4):213–221.
Chapter 15: Quelling a Social Media Firestorm
Carroll, Dave. “United Breaks Guitars” video. YouTube. Accessed July 7, 2012. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YGc4zOqozo, posted July 6, 2009.
Chapter 19: When Talking Isn’t Enough: Keeping Yourself and Your Customer Safe
Colorado Springs (CO) Gazette. “Taco Bell Customer Shoots at Employees, Police over Burrito Price Increase,” March 22, 2011. http://www.gazette.com/articles/bell-114916-price-burrito.html.
Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Occupational Homicides by Selected Characteristics, 1997–2010.” Accessed July 4, 2012. http://www.bls.gov/iif/oshwc/cfoi/work_hom.pdf.
National Lightning Safety Institute. “Lightning Strike Probabilities.” Accessed July 4, 2012. http://www.lightningsafety.com/nlsi_pls/probability.html.
CBS News. “Atlanta Hostage Recounts Ordeal,” March 14, 2005. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/03/14/national/
main679837.shtml.
Chapter 20: From Customer Crisis to Excellent Service: Lessons for the Whole Organization
Chicago Tribune. “JetBlue Issues Apology in Ads,” February 22, 2007. http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2007-02-22/news/
0702220380_1_david-neeleman-jetblue-airways-bryan-baldwin.
Drolet, Danielle. “80s Tylenol Scare Still a Model Crisis Case Study.” PRWeek, May 20, 2011. http://www.prweekus.com/80s-tylenol-scare-still-a-model-crisis-case-study/article/203351/.
Kador, John. Effective Apology: Mending Fences, Building Bridges, and Restoring Trust. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler, 2009.
Risen, James. “Iacocca Admits Mileage Tampering Was ‘Dumb’: Apologizes for Chrysler’s New Car ‘Test-Drives’ by Its Managers with Odometers Disconnected,” Los Angeles Times, July 2, 1987. http://articles.latimes.com/1987-07-02/business/fi-1822_1_test-cars.
Index
The index that appeared in the print version of this title was intentionally removed from the eBook. Please use the search function on your eReading device for terms of interest. For your reference, the terms that appear in the print index are listed below
accountability, for behavior
acknowledgment
achieving deep
vs. agreement
of anger
and calming customer
of customer’s likely concern
acting
agenda of difficult customers
agreement, acknowledgment vs.
air travel, informing customers of delays
alternatives, contrasting
anger
acknowledging
of customer
danger from
questions for assessment
response to
shifting discussion
vs. toxic entitlement
from unexpected
anger management
acknowledgment in
executing endgame
framing response
framing situation
apology
and lawsuit prevention
organizational
public
arrogance
assertiveness
awareness, situational
backstabber, talking to
backup, for risky situation
bad idea, reframing message as
bad news delivery
examples
introduction for preparation
proactive summary
in stages
worst kind of news
bad service
balance of power
being nice
benefits, for customers
Bennett, Chauncey III
blame
body language
boss
boundaries, setting
brainstorming
bullying
Bureau of Labor Statistics
Burns, David
call center, managing
/> “Calm down”
calmness
“can-do” language, responding to threats with
Carroll, Dave
catchphrases
change, toxic entitlement and
Chrysler Motors
class-action suit
closing, importance of
communication
as art
with customer, as priority
importance of
by organization
strength-based
complaints
giving credence to
handing back
concerns
minimizing customer’s
for person’s welfare
concert tickets
confidence
conflict
internal
shutting down
conflict resolution
confrontation, avoiding
connecting with customers
context framing
corporatespeak
cover charge
crazy customers
creative service recovery
crisis
defusing
management
crisis communications skills, and
toxic entitlement
crisis managers
Critchett, Ryan
criticism
leaning into
customer abilities
customer rage
customers
accepting self-importance
anger of, see also anger communication as priority
demands of
disorderly
frustration of
giving orders to
good closings with
informing of air travel delays
leaning into biggest concerns
making them feel good
mirroring emotions
reaffirming relationship
reframing perceptions of
response to defensiveness
revenge by risk of death from
shared opinions
stupidity of
see also difficult customers; toxic entitlement
customer’s emotions, mirroring
customer-satisfaction ratings
dangerous condition
Davis, Nancy
death notifications
defending self
avoiding as first response
timing of
defensiveness
fear and
delivery services
demands of customer
desensitization, systematic
details
in bad news summary
questions to ask for
dialogue
difficult customers
agenda of
ending relationship
sparing feelings of
thanking
wrap-up with
discussion, shifting
dishonesty
disorderly customer
“Don’t worry”
Effective Apology (Kador)
emergency, safety plan for
emotion, not showing
emotional reasoning
emotions of customer
avoiding minimizing
mirroring
empathy
in bad news delivery
in response to customer
employee behaviors
“empty chair” technique
endgame, executing
entitlement, toxic
vs. anger
change and
error, overcompensation for
escape routes, and safety
exchanging items
excuses, avoiding
explanations
one-sided
extended warranties
eye contact
fear
defensiveness and
in service providers
“fight or flight” body movements
first impressions
“first notifiers”
fogging
framing question
framing response
and anger management
frustration of customers
giving orders to customers
Golden Rule, Other
good closings with customers
good intentions
good lines, stealing customer’s
goodwill
Greenman, Jeff
group, disorderly actions
growth, culture of continuous
guessing, in making observations
gut, trusting
Hayes, Dennis
honesty
hospitals
hostage negotiators
humiliation
“I” technique
for normalizing
“I understand” phrase
Iacocca, Lee
identification
“I’m sorry”
incentives, in problem solving
informality, in social media
information-gathering questions
injury
insincerity, reframing message and
interest, showing
internal conflict
intimidation
immunity to
“It’s OK”
JetBlue
Johnson & Johnson
Josselyn, Jim
Kador, John, Effective Apology
“know who I am”
Labor Statistics Bureau
language
lawsuits
apologies for preventing
exploring solutions
framing benefits
response to threat
leaders, conflict resolution
leaning into biggest concerns
leaning into criticism
learning posture, for assessment questions
linguistics
listening
importance of
LPFSA (Low Probability Face-Saving Alternative)
manager
mental illness
minimal encourages
mirroring emotions of customer
modeling
National Institute of Mental Health
National Lightning Safety Institute
negative expectation
negative publicity, social media and
negotiations
“Never mind”
nonreactivity
basics
using
nonverbal body language
normalizing
“I” technique for
situation in wrap-up
objections, response to
observation
open-ended questions
opening statement
options
in bad news delivery
organization
apology
communication by
safety plan
Other Golden Rule
overcompensation, for error
paraphrasing
examples
perceptions of customers
challenging
reframing
personal contact
personal growth
personal interest
physical space, and safety
police work
possibilities, focus on
preparing for anything
proactive summary, in bad news delivery
problem solving
clarifying needs
examples
framing response
incentives in
response to objections
shifting discussion to
shifting into
public, response to
public incident, handling
public opinion
questions
for anger assessment
asking for details
exploring deeper
framing
open-ended
&
nbsp; “Why?”
quick response, in social media
rage, see anger
rapport, establishing in risky situation
rationalizations
reasoning, emotional
reciprocity, law of
red zone
reframing message
as bad idea
context framing
examples
normalizing in
relative value
reframing perceptions of customers
reframing situation in bad news
relationship
building
ending with difficult customers
relative value
repetition
respect
response
to lawsuit threat
to objections
to public
in social media, promptness of
response to anger
powerful levels
response to customer
“can-do” language for threat response
empathy in
framing
restitution
revenge, by customer
risk of death
reacting to
Robin, Stacy
Roth, Carol
safety
safety plan
self-focused response, vs. empathetic
self-importance, accepting of customer’s
September 11, 2001 tragedy
service culture, creating
service providers, war stories of
service recovery, creative
setup phrases
Shakespeare, William
silence, in bad news delivery
Sinclair-Robinson, Karlene
situational awareness
Smith, Ashley
Smith, Manuel J., When I Say No, I Feel Guilty
social media
quelling firestorm
quick response in
trusting will of crowd
specificity in questions
strength-based communication
stupidity, of customers
Super Bowl XLV
systematic desensitization
thanking difficult customers
threats
response with “can-do” language
underreacting to
toxic entitlement
vs. anger
trigger phrases, avoiding
trust
trusting gut
truth, in reframing
“uh-oh” moment
underreacting to threats
unexpected, anger from
United Airlines
University of Michigan Health System
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
U.S. National Institute of Mental Health
The Customer Service Survival Kit Page 17
