1. Listen with an open mind.
Hear what the person has to say without prejudging the situation. Let the person speak his mind fully, without interruption and without questioning the validity of the problem. Before you say anything, you should fully understand what has happened and precisely why the person is upset.
2. Repeat the problem back.
Once you see where the complaint is coming from, repeat it back in your own words so the person knows you've grasped her position. She might correct you on a few points, but keep parroting her position back to her until she acknowledges that you've gotten it right.
3. Empathize and assure that something will be done.
Without admitting any fault on the part of the company or placing blame on anyone, say this:
First of all im sorry for your inconvenient. From the way you've described this, I'd be unhappy, too, if I were in your shoes. Let me see what I can do. I'll check this out and get right back to you as soon as possible.
Showing your sincere empathy will help neutralize any anger the person feels. In the vast majority of cases, you'll be amazed by how quickly this assurance calms the person.
4. Follow up promptly.
As soon as possible, follow up with a report on what went wrong and the steps you plan to take to rectify the situation and prevent it from happening again. In some cases, you may even wish to send a small gift as a token of thanks for the person's help in improving your business.
~By John Treace more than 30 years' experience as a sales executive in the medical products industry. He spent more than 10 years specializing in the restructuring of sales departments~