How to Deal With Angry Callers

A call center has to deal with all kinds of callers. While some callers are polite, some others are rude. Some may be upset; others are simply bad-tempered. Dealing with a sulky caller requires tact.

Since all call centers will have to deal with ill-tempered callers from time to time, teaching your operators how to deal with these callers is imperative if you want to increase your quality scores.

Grumpy calls don't necessarily mean that the call center or the operator is bad at solving customer problems. In fact, many of these calls are quickly resolved. Still, angry callers are a big headache for all call centers. Before we learn how to deal with this issue, we should take a look at standard metrics used by call centers all over the world.

Quality scores

The quality score is a measure of the overall caller experience. Calls are usually recorded for quality control. While measuring the quality of calls, the quality control team will assess factors such as personality (of the caller's as well as the operator's), openness, level of service, and adherence to polite language.

Each call is scored on a scale of 1 - 10. By analyzing these scores, a company can find out what sort of service the customer received. This doesn't mean that grumpy calls will lower the credit score. In fact, these calls may have a high score depending on the way the agent responds.

Grumpy calls with high scores indicate that they were properly managed by the agent and that they do not require the intervention of a supervisor. As far as possible, agents should try to subvert the need for their supervisor's involvement.

First call resolution

One of the most important metrics used to measure quality score is first call resolution. If there is a first call resolution, the caller does not have to contact the call center again for the same problem. This improves customer satisfaction and quality scores.

Supervisors can easily measure the number of first call resolutions. If there is more than one call from the same phone number, it implies that the problem was not solved immediately. And when the caller has to call again, the operator will have to spend more time dealing with the same caller. As a result, the operator will get less time to manage other callers. That's bad for the call center. Operators who receive grumpy calls should try to solve the issue immediately. There should be no call back or transferring. Again the emphasis should be on time management.

Calls per hour

The efficiency of a call center is sometimes measured in terms of the number of calls it handles per hour. If the agent/operator handles a large number of calls in an hour, it is safe to assume that s/he is resolving issues in an effective and timely manner. And if the operator handles more calls, it means more money for the call center.

Call centers can increase calls per hour by updating software and hardware. This will expedite call transfers.

Stay calm

The agents should be trained not to take anything personally, even when dealing with an angry caller who hurls abuses or insults. Don't drag the conversation. Listen patiently and do whatever you can to resolve the issue at the earliest. Remember that if the agent is angry, the customer will be angrier.

The agent's sole concern should be resolving the caller's problem. And when the agent shows a genuine concern for the caller and tries to address their problems earnestly, the sulky caller may begin to sound appreciative. Let the caller give vent to their frustrations, but the agent should stay calm.