I recently read some great tips from a customer service expert for calming people down if they are making a complaint.

• Hold your customers in high regard.   They may not always be right, but they have the right to be upset with you and treated with respect accordingly.
• Let the storm blow out.  Wait until they?ve finished being angry – never interrupt, never argue – but do acknowledge you are listening.  Remember there may be more than one problem.  If the customer is really upset, chances are there has been a succession of ineptitudes.
• Be detached.  Don?t take complaints personally.  If you can detach yourself from customer criticism you have a much better chance of looking at the problem objectively.
• Don?t make excuses.  If it?s the company?s fault, confess and apologise immediately.
• Take ownership of the problem.  Ensure the customer knows you?re taking them seriously.  Give them your name and contact details, using direct numbers rather than a switchboard if possible.
• Manage expectations.  A customer won?t necessarily expect you to resolve the problem there and then.  But if you need to investigate, let them know when you?ll be in touch – and stick to your word.

As marketing consultants, we?d take this advice one stage further, and recommend ways for our clients to use such situations as positive marketing activities.

• Word of mouth – nothing is more powerful in marketing than word of mouth.  This is particularly true when what?s being said is negative.  Make sure you resolve the problem before any negative information gets out.
• Testimonials are great ways of telling potential customers how you as a company treat people, and people use this (subconsciously) when making buying decisions.   Include testimonials of how you went out of your way to respond to customer feedback.
• Tweets – use Twitter to acknowledge there was a problem and how you are pleased to have rectified it for the customer.  Include links to testimonials on your website about how customers really are your priority.  The message is ?out there? instantly, to a potentially vast audience.
• Blogs – use the experience to discuss how you responded to the problem and what the outcome was.  Again include these in your website, and Tweet the blog when you?ve written it.
• Website – your ?shop window?.  Read it as your customers do, what are they looking for to make those buying decisions?  Alongside company, product or service information, ensure you highlight early on (i.e. on your home page) the regard in which you hold your customers.  Quotes and testimonials are a great way to send messages to potential clients about the sort of company you are.

So, when you?re having a bad day and getting grief from angry customers…breathe….deal with the situation…..and turn it into some really positive marketing activity.  Let us know about situations where you?ve turned around a negative situation into a positive one, or any that you haven?t been able to – perhaps we can help.