16 Customer Service Phrases for Angry Customers!
If you work in a contact centre, office, retail, etc, there is no doubt you’re going to run into an angry customer at one point or another.
But have you ever wondered what to say in order to calm them down and take control of the situation?
The good news there are some phrases that can assist, so we’ve listed 16 Customer Service Phrases for Angry Customers that you can use in a number of different scenarios.
Remember, though, when using any of the phrases, you must sound genuine.
In normal human interaction, approx 60% of communication is physical – predominately through body language and facial expressions, which are (obviously!) lost over the phone.
That places even ore emphasis on the words you use and the tone in which you say them.
Said with genuine warmth and empathy, these Customer Service Phrases for Angry Customers below will help steer any angry customer back on track!
16 Customer Service Phrases for Angry Customers that really work!
We’ve sorted the Customer Service Phrases for Angry Customers into eight common scenarios – simply scroll below or click on the link to go straight to the situation you need.
For Customers that demand to speak to the Manager
1. “Will you first provide me with the opportunity to help you? That’s why I’m here.”
2. “Could we try working together first? If I still can’t assist you, I’ll gladly arrange for you to speak to my manager.”
Saying sorry without admitting fault
1. “I’m sorry for any frustration this has caused you.”
2. “I’m sorry we didn’t deliver the level of service you expected.”
When the customer is swearing or being rude
1. “I’m sorry, I can’t assist you while listening to that language. If it stops, I’ll be able to keep helping you“
2. “I’m trying to help you but if you continue to swear, I will ask you to call us back when you’ve calmed down.”
Delivering bad news
1. “I understand that this is not the outcome you were hoping for, but we cannot provide the solution you want.“
2. “While I wish we could do more, we cannot accommodate your request.”
Showing Empathy
1. “If I was in your postion, I would feel exactly the same way.“
2. “I realise how frustrating this must be for you.”
Acknowledging the customer’s feelings
1. “It sounds like this has been a really challenging situation for you.“
2. “I can see why you’d be so upset about this.”
Offering some resolution options
1. “I have a few options available to enable us to resolve this for you.“
2. “Would you be open to exploring some alternative solutions?”
Managing Expectations
1. “I will do my best to help you, but I can’t guarantee a specific outcome.“
2. “Please understand there may be some limitations to what I can do in this situation but I assure you I will do all I can to assist you.”
Where to get more help?
Whilst we hope the 16 Customer Service Phrases for Angry Customers is a great resource for you, learning professional customer service skills should not be left to chance or just by ‘learning on the job’.
There are numerous training courses available both online and in-person/onsite to help employees learn the skills they need to be confident and successful on the phone.
We offer a number of different courses, including:
- Customer Service Essentials (1 x 3-hour online training delivered live)
- Customer Service Professionals (3 x 3-hour online training delivered live)
- Managing Difficult Customers (2 x 4-hour online training delivered live)
- Plus specialist courses for receptionists, inbound sales and more. Search all upcoming courses >
ACXPA Resources
We also have a host of resources, videos, forums and more to help businesses improve their customer service – view the ACXPA Membership options >
You can also find a list of companies that provide workplace training options for customer service in the ACXPA Supplier Directory >
Upcoming ACXPA Member Bites Sessions
Short, sharp interviews and presentations on specific topics to fast-track your knowledge!
The ACXPA Member Bites are only available to ACXPA Members!
ACXPA Members can watch all the ACXPA Member Bites at any time in their Video Library. Discover which membership is right for you >
IVR Best Practice
Over 90% of contact centres are using an IVR (Press 1 for this, press 2 for that), and we've encountered many contact centres with over four layers of options for customers to select from. In this session, Nadine will be sharing some best practice tips on IVR design for 2024.
Presented by Nadine Power, Client Success Manager, VERSA Connects (and ACXPA National Advisory Board Member)
More sessions announced soon!
(If you're interested in speaking at one of our events, click here to learn more >)
