JetBlue Air Steward Steven Slater struck a chord with overstressed service people this week, when he did what many only dream about — tell the customer off and abandon ship. It’s no wonder. Customers are more demanding, businesses are leaner, and the competition for consumer dollars is fierce. That adds up to the kind of stress that can turn ugly.
“Mr. Slater doesn’t seem proud of what he did. While he may embody what many of us would like to do when we get overstressed, he’s a professional service provider. I’m willing to bet he’s upset with himself. It isn’t easy to handle unexpected anger in a constructive way,” said Marilyn Suttle, co-author of customer service bestseller “Who’s Your Gladys? How to Turn Even the Most Difficult Customer into Your Biggest Fan,” with Lori Jo Vest. The two authors offer these tips to companies who may be concerned about overstressed customer service staff.
Don’t be shocked, be prepared – The surprise of being treated rudely can shut down the reason centers of the brain and produce a fight, flight, or freeze reaction. Businesses who regularly conduct “war game” meetings empower employees with a plan of action to protect themselves.
Sidestep last-straw syndrome – The issue isn’t always what it appears to be. Mounting pressures can cause an employee to lose control. Service providers need a place to share their frustrations constructively and learn stress reducing strategies.
Train now or pay later – When budgets are tight, stress-management, resilience, and customer service training may be the first programs to go. People can work well under pressure when they have the emotion management tools to succeed.
Define limits – When a customer crosses a line into dangerous and abusive behavior, employees who do not feel supported are more likely to snap. Put a plan in place for managing customers who cross the line from difficult to abusive.
Identify hot-button issues and roleplay them away – Some employees take issue with customers who display a cold, impersonal exterior. Some take issue with loud, demanding customers. Still others are outraged by customers who express a sense of entitlement. Identify hot button issues and role play scenarios until the hot buttons lose their heat. In most cases, a customer’s behavior isn’t personal.
Step out of victim mode – Most of the time, a customer’s behavior has nothing to do with the service provider. Customer behavior has more to do with their own set of life experiences. Instead of feeling attacked, step into the role of “empowered leader.” Some powerful ways to defuse anger are to remember these key phrases: “Keep a positive outcome in mind,” “Choose a role model to emulate,” and “Don’t take it personally.” Before responding to any customer service situation, picture feeling good about the way you handled whatever came your way.
One benefit of our economically challenged world is that business leaders are being called to grow their awareness and humanity in order to stay relevant in business today. Pay close attention to internal communication, workplace happiness, and resiliency. Giving service providers with what they need to manage challenging situations will provide customers with what they need to create calmer more harmonious long-term relationships.
Marilyn Suttle and Lori Jo Vest are the coauthors of the bestselling book, “Who’s Your Gladys?” published by AMACOM/New York, which tells the stories of ten companies that offer exceptional customer service, including Singapore Airlines (Singapore, JP), The Jack Canfield Company (Santa Barbara, CA) and Professional Movers (Walled Lake, MI). It was recently licensed for translation for sale in China.
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