This is the time of the year when customer service representatives in the energy industry are dealing with the most customer interactions. Inevitably, your CSRs will eventually speak with a customer with a difficult-to-resolve complaint—how will your CSRs respond? At Consumer Focus Marketing, we’re proud to be the energy industry’s experts in customer service representative training, with modules that zero in on a variety of topics, from pricing questions to the value of full-service providers. Keep reading this blog post to learn our top tips for helping your CSRs handle customer complaints and problems and how we can help your CSRs thrive.
Our Top Tips for Handling Issues with Customers
Put Yourself in the Customer’s Shoes
To understand how to effectively handle customer complaints, it’s a good idea for your CSRs to put themselves in the customer’s shoes. You’ve no doubt had a problem with something you’ve purchased in the past—when you got in touch with the company’s CSRs, did they make you feel heard and understood? Did you receive a solution that met your needs and expectations? Ultimately, did you feel taken care of? That is the type of mindset your CSRs need to have going into every single call.
Know How to De-Escalate the Situation
A customer may wind up angry for several reasons, some of which include speaking with multiple agents, a lack of communication, or multiple attempts at calling. De-escalating a customer’s anger promptly is critical because it keeps the situation from worsening. To effectively de-escalate a customer, you as a business owner must:
- Ensure you’ve properly trained your CSRs
- Establish de-escalation protocols and procedures
- Provide effective resources and tools for de-escalation
In turn, your customer service representatives must do the following to de-escalate an angry customer:
- Remain calm and composed
- Practice active listening and empathy
- Problem-solve and find common ground
- Provide timely follow-up and resolution
Consumer Focus proudly provides industry-leading CSR training that checks all the boxes and gives your CSRs the confidence and skills they need to effectively de-escalate angry customers.
Provide Training for Objection Handling
Another common problem CSRs face is objection handling, which occurs when a prospect presents a concern about a product or service that your CSR is selling, and your CSR should alleviate those concerns and move the deal forward. Unfortunately, many CSRs don’t receive proper training in objection handling, and therefore, opportunities to sell additional products, such as service plans or new installations, often fall through. Situational awareness, the accrual of background information, and thoughtful, open-ended questions are all critical to artful objection handling, which is an important facet of our comprehensive CSR training.
Related Post: Promoting Retention via Customer Service Representative Training
Use a Conflict Resolution Framework
Even the most skilled CSRs will encounter situations where objection handling alone isn’t enough. That’s where a clear conflict resolution framework makes all the difference. When your CSRs follow a consistent, solution-oriented process, they can turn even the most frustrated customer into a loyal one.
There are four core steps to professional and effective conflict resolution:
- Apologize for the customer having to deal with the problem in the first place.
- Listen to their concerns fully and without interruption.
- Assure them that they’ve reached the right person and that help is on the way.
- Solve the problem by finding a solution that genuinely addresses their concern.
The throughline connecting all four steps is solution-oriented thinking. It’s not enough to simply hear the words a customer is saying. Your CSRs need to dig deeper to uncover the root of their concern and know your company’s offerings well enough to match the right solution to that root issue.
Here’s What This Framework Looks Like in Action
Scenario: A customer is upset about pricing and wants the lowest price per gallon.
- Apologize, even if it’s not your fault. “I’m sorry the price is not what you had in mind, Mr. Jones.”
- “It sounds like you have a lot of costs to juggle, and I’m sure this isn’t making it any easier on you.”
- “Luckily, you were connected with me today, and I have a few ideas for how we can help make this situation easier for you.”
- “Did you know we offer a no-added-cost plan that divides your heating bills into 12 equal monthly payments? And if you enroll in auto pay, it will knock a further 10 cents off per gallon. Is this something you’d be interested in learning more about?”
Notice how the solution doesn’t just address the surface-level complaint—it speaks to the customer’s deeper concern about managing costs. That’s the power of a strong conflict resolution framework, and it’s a skill your CSRs can build with the right training and practice.
Are Your CSRs Fully Trained? Let Consumer Focus Give Them Confidence!
Marketing is far from the only thing we do here at Consumer Focus Marketing. We’re pleased to offer business consulting strategy, customer service representative training, and a variety of other services you need to keep your energy business running. To schedule your CSR training and learn the ins and outs of de-escalation and objection handling, get in touch with us today.