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  Advance praise for

  The Customer Service Survival Kit

  “Rich Gallagher explores the daunting task of dealing with your most difficult customers in The Customer Service Survival Kit. This invaluable book provides service professionals of all levels with a clear framework of how to anticipate customer expectations and turn customer service nightmares into winning situations—every time!”

  —Carolyn Healey, Publisher, SupportIndustry.com and RecognizeServiceExcellence.com

  “When the worst-case scenarios happen, as they often do when serving customers, this book is a lifesaver! Knowing what to say, when to say it and how to say it will be the difference between having a former customer and a loyal customer!”

  —Randi Busse, President and Founder of Workforce Development Group, Inc.

  “What is the key to great customer service? Rich Gallagher shows how to confidently handle even the worst customer service issues!”

  —Barry Moltz, author of Bounce! and Small Town Rules

  “Just when I thought I had seen it all and learned as much as I could from Rich, he proves me wrong. The examples alone will give you reason to pick up the book time and time again.”

  —Phil Verghis, Chief Everything Officer, The Verghis Group, and author of The Ultimate Customer Support Executive

  “If you’ve delivered any sort of service to customers, you know bad things sometimes happen to good customers. But there’s never been a guide to handle these problems—until now. Rich Gallagher penned THE ultimate guide to what happens when things go wrong—and they will go wrong! This book is filled with useful insights even the most experienced customer service professional can learn from. Run—don’t walk—to get your copy today.”

  —Phil Gerbyshak, Chief Connections Officer and author of four books and over 2,000 articles on customer service, social media, and more

  “Rich Gallagher is a customer service rock star!”

  —Prof. Susan Stafford, Chair of Hotel and Restaurant Management, SUNY TC3

  THE

  Customer Service

  Survival Kit

  THE

  Customer Service

  Survival Kit

  What to Say to Defuse Even the

  Worst Customer Situations

  Richard S. Gallagher

  Foreword by Carol Roth

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  This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional service. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought.

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Gallagher, Richard S.

  The customer service survival kit : what to say to defuse even the worst customer situations / Richard S. Gallagher.

  pages cm

  Includes bibliographical references and index.

  ISBN 978-0-8144-3183-2 (pbk.)—ISBN 0-8144-3183-6 (pbk.) 1. Customer services. 2. Customer relations. I. Title.

  HF5415.5.G3468 2013

  658.8′12—dc23

  2012040797

  © 2013 Richard S. Gallagher

  All rights reserved.

  Printed in the United States of America.

  This publication may not be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in whole or in part, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of AMACOM, a division of American Management Association, 1601 Broadway, New York, NY 10019.

  The scanning, uploading, or distribution of this book via the Internet or any other means without the express permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions of this work and do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials, electronically or otherwise. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

  About AMA

  American Management Association (www.amanet.org) is a world leader in talent development, advancing the skills of individuals to drive business success. Our mission is to support the goals of individuals and organizations through a complete range of products and services, including classroom and virtual seminars, webcasts, webinars, podcasts, conferences, corporate and government solutions, business books, and research. AMA’s approach to improving performance combines experiential learning—learning through doing—with opportunities for ongoing professional growth at every step of one’s career journey.

  Printing number

  10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

  To Colleen, my joy and my soul mate

  Contents

  Foreword by Carol Roth

  Acknowledgments

  Introduction

  PART I WHY WORST-CASE SCENARIOS MATTER

  Chapter 1 Understanding the “Uh-Oh” Moment

  Why Worst-Case Scenarios Are Important

  Good Intentions Are Not Enough

  PART II TOOLS FOR DEFUSING A CUSTOMER CRISIS

  Chapter 2 Leaning Into Criticism

  Step 1: Hand Their Complaints Back to Them

  Step 2: Use “Wow” Words

  Step 3: Steal All Their Good Lines

  Step 4: Never Defend Yourself First

  Why Leaning In Is So Hard

  Putting Learning into Practice

  Chapter 3 Achieving Deep Acknowledgment

  Why We Don’t Acknowledge Demanding Customers

  The Four Powerful Levels of Response

  Acknowledgment: Your Key to Handling Any Situation

  Putting Learning into Practice

  Chapter 4 Avoiding Trigger Phrases

  The Other Golden Rule

  Trigger Phrases and How You Can Avoid Them

  Less Is Often More

  Putting Learning into Practice

  Chapter 5 Divide and Conquer: The Safe Way to Deliver Bad News

  Step 1: A Good Introduction That Prepares the Customer

  Step 2: A Proactive Summary That Moves the Customer Toward a Solution

  Step 3: An Empathetic Response to the Customer’s Reactions

  Putting Learning into Practice

  Chapter 6 Powerful Problem Solving: Beyond “Yes We Can” and “No We Can’t”

  Step 1: Clarify the Other Person’s Needs

  Step 2: Frame Your Response

  Step 3: Create Incentives

  Step 4: Respond to Objections

  A New Way to Solve Problems

  Putting Learning into Practice

  Chapter 7 Reframing Your Message

  How Reframing Works

  When Reframing Is a Bad Idea

  A New Perspective

  Putting Learning into Practice

  Chapter 8 Grounding an Angry Outburst

  Understanding Customer Anger

  Step 1: Use the Highest Acknowledgment Level Possible

  Step 2: Ask Assessment Questions

  Step 3: Shift the Discussion

  Working in the Red Zone

  Putting Learning into Practice

  Chapter 9 Becoming Immune to Intimidation

  Angry Customers vs. Toxic Entitlement

  The Basics of Nonreactivity

  Putting Nonreactivity to Work

  Can Entitled Customers Change?

  Putting Learning into Pr
actice

  Chapter 10 The Wrap-Up

  Understanding Good Closings

  The Right Ending: A Good Beginning

  Putting Learning into Practice

  PART III YOUR WORST CUSTOMER SITUATIONS—SOLVED!

  Chapter 11 You’re the Boss

  Lean Into the Customer’s Biggest Concerns

  Ask Good Questions

  Respond to Threats with “Can-Do” Language

  The Law of Reciprocity

  Chapter 12 Don’t You Know Who I Am?

  Mirror the Customer’s Emotions

  Explore the Options

  Use the LPFSA

  Show a Personal Interest

  Chapter 13 The Concert That Never Was

  Talk with the Customer First

  Practice Creative Service Recovery

  Respond to the Public

  Chapter 14 I’ll Be Suing You

  Do Not—Repeat, Do Not—Defend Yourself First

  Explore Solutions

  Frame the Benefits

  Chapter 15 Quelling a Social Media Firestorm

  Be Real

  Be Quick

  Reach Out to the Person Behind the Keyboard

  Trust the Will of the Crowd

  Chapter 16 Just Plane Terrible

  Be Present

  Deliver the Bad News in Stages

  Reframe the Situation

  Don’t Take It Personally

  Chapter 17 Anger Management

  Frame the Situation

  Acknowledge Bruno

  Frame Your Response

  Execute the Endgame

  Relationship Building

  Chapter 18 Not So Smart

  Meet the Customer Where He Is

  Explore the Deeper Question

  Make the Customer Feel Good

  PART IV BEYOND THE WORST CASE

  Chapter 19 When Talking Isn’t Enough: Keeping Yourself and Your Customer Safe

  Situational Awareness: Trusting Your Gut

  Reacting to Risk

  Don’t Go It Alone: Have a Safety Plan

  Chapter 20 From Customer Crisis to Excellent Service: Lessons for the Whole Organization

  Creating a Service Culture

  Managing Internal Conflict

  Personal Growth

  Communicating as an Organization

  The Bottom Line

  Appendix Solutions to Putting Learning into Practice Exercises

  References

  Index

  About the Author

  Foreword

  COMMUNICATION IS AN ART as well as a science. In our modern world of texts, tweets, and emails, coupled with a general oversaturation of information, I believe that communication has actually become a lost art. However, that lost art is about to be reclaimed.

  In The Customer Service Survival Kit: What to Say to Defuse Even the Worst Customer Situations, Rich Gallagher masterfully helps you conquer this lost art form, which will not only help you turn around virtually any customer issue but also give you the nuanced skills to be able to communicate effectively with just about anyone.

  While communication as an art form may be lost, it has become more important than ever. Today’s crowded business landscape is extremely competitive, and although it may be easier to superficially reach customers, they are bombarded with so much information that it is difficult to break through the noise. In addition, it is easy for customers to affect your business with their opinions. Myriad outlets, from blogs to review sites to social media, allow customers to share their thoughts about your business, regardless of whether that feedback is accurate or warranted. So your ability to solve issues quickly and effectively—and to plain avoid them in the first place—is one of the greatest assets you and your team can leverage for success.

  I’m a tough customer when it comes to books (well truthfully, to just about anything), and I loved this book. Rich Gallagher is one of the best communicators around, and he has a deep, credible background as a writer, communications skills expert, and psychotherapist. The Customer Service Survival Kit is everything you would want in a business book: It’s well written, easy to understand, and, most importantly, relevant and helpful. Plus, I think it’s more than a business book, as the communication lessons within can apply to almost any personal or professional situation.

  I’m always amazed at how much of what we say gets lost in translation, especially in a world where everyone seems to be tuned in to their favorite radio station, WIIFM (What’s in It for Me). However, what’s so powerful about communication and the lessons in this book is that the same information can resonate differently with a slight tweak in approach and perspective, clever rephrasing, or just extending some desired empathy.

  If you are anything like me, you may have a burning desire to want to explain and show to people what is “right.” But to be successful in any relationship—personal or business-oriented—it is critical to remember the goals. Unfortunately, being right as a goal rarely gets you the best outcome. The Customer Service Survival Kit gives you a framework to set beneficial goals up front, as well as the tools to meet those goals successfully.

  I don’t make recommendations often, because I take them very seriously, but I can confidently say that you’ll get a significant return on investment from reading and implementing the advice and strategies in this book, and will likely refer back to it for years to come. Wishing you continued success,

  CAROL ROTH

  Recovering investment banker, business strategist,

  and New York Times bestselling author of The Entrepreneur Equation

  www.CarolRoth.com

  Twitter: @CarolJSRoth

  Acknowledgments

  THIS BOOK WAS TRULY CO-CREATED with the help of a lot of great people. Here are just a few of them:

  Fellow business author Carol Roth, for whom I am a contributing blogger on CarolRoth.com, went far above and beyond the call of duty to help make this book happen. She was more than generous in offering her support, the resources of her blog community, and even her cousin (airline manager Jeff Greenman, mentioned in Chapter 1), as well as writing this book’s foreword. I owe her great blogs for at least the next decade.

  Carolyn Healey, publisher of leading customer support portal site SupportIndustry.com as well as customer service site RecognizeService Excellence.com, has been my partner in crime for many years. Much of the idea for this book came from her survey research on critical customer scenarios and effective training approaches, and our joint webinars have been a valuable testing ground for sharing my ideas with thousands of customer support professionals.

  Of all the people I have the pleasure of presenting for, I have to single out Todd Lewis, Veronica Puailoa, and the entire team at Citrix GoToAssist for regularly providing me with a great public platform in front of service-industry leaders worldwide. They are visionaries, and I feel honored to partner with them.

  Bob Nirkind, my editor at AMACOM Books, has been a phenomenal cheerleader for this project since its inception and a delight to work with. It was his idea to crowdsource many of the examples in this book using social media. It has been an honor and a pleasure to work with the entire team at AMACOM on our fourth book project together. And a special thanks to my longtime literary agent, Diana Finch, who first planted the seed for this project, for a great working relationship.

  Numerous people contributed their expertise and/or examples of challenging customer situations, including Lieutenant Chauncey Bennett III of the New York State University Police, retired Cornell University police officer Janice Pack, communications-skills author John Kador, colleague and speaker extraordinaire Julie Kowalski, psychologist Dr. Nancy Davis, FBI chaplain Dennis Hayes, Gina Schreck of SynapseConnecting, Professor Jeremy Cooperstock of McGill University, Sara Schoonover of TicketKick, Janet Christy of Leverage and Development LLC, Karlene Sinclair-Robinson of KSR Solutions LLC, Jim Josselyn of the Academy of Music and Drama, Stacy Robin of The Degania Group, and Ryan Crichett of RMC TECH Mobile Repair.
Thank you all for being part of this project.

  My wife, Colleen, has always been my editor, my sounding board, and the person I am madly in love with. You are the light of my life. Thank you for being you.

  Finally, I would like to tip my hat to the organizations I have worked for in my own career in customer service and support, and the thousands of people I speak to every year. The things I have learned from you over the years have been a precious gift, and this book is a small attempt to return the favor. Enjoy!

  THE

  Customer Service

  Survival Kit

  Introduction

  I LOVE worst-case scenarios.

  Why? Because they hold the key to creating truly incredible service.

  Think about it. There is a lot of bad service out there. And most of it happens because people who serve the public constantly fear the worst, and then react to everyone from a defensive posture. Scratch the surface of most disengaged people who serve the public, and more often than not you will find fear lurking there. They feel alone and vulnerable on a very public stage, worrying about when the next customer will leave them twisting defenselessly in the wind.

  When service providers don’t bother to ask you what you want, it is often because they are afraid they won’t be able to handle what you tell them. When they tell you “no,” they are hiding behind their policies because they have no idea how to negotiate with you. Even though they wear name tags that say “Hi, Can I Help You?” they are silently praying you will just go away creating as little damage as possible. And when you demand to speak to a manager, they often pass you off to someone who is as frightened and as clueless as they are.

  So how do you change this fear? By teaching people the skills that hostage negotiators, crisis counselors, psychotherapists, and police officers use in their worst situations. When people learn these skills, everything changes. They become supremely confident in any situation. They can really engage customers, because they know they are able to lean back on these communications skills for anything someone might throw at them. It is here, in this zone of incredible confidence, that greatness takes root.

  I know this works because I have watched it happen over and over.