How do you handle a customer service crisis with poise and confidence?

Calmness is key when dealing with any situation. It's hardwired into our DNA to read body language and emotion and respond in kind. It can be as simple as standing straight with your hands clasped in front of you and maintaining good eye contact. Your demeanor plays a key role in controlling a situation and projects an air of confidence and control, but also understanding when done correctly. Crossing your arms or keeping them in your pocket and shifting side to side are all mannerisms that can further agitate an individual.

Staying Calm is so vital as well as listening carefully. You are able to hear what the problem is more clearly and by doing that make rational decisions with a favorable outcome

Remembering that your words & choices are a reflection of who you are. The key is not always about convincing others you're right, but achieving resolve.

Being calm creates a safe environment for the customer. It tells them you can take on the crises and find a solution for it. While being calm is essential, it should not equate to slowness. After all, handling the issue(s) quickly should be the goal.

As with all potential problems it is vital you practice active listening. Making sure the knows that you have their undivided attention goes along way and being attentive and showing a mutual interest to resolve the situation in a expedient logical manner. Having a calm constructive communication will prove very fruitful to solving the concern here. Once this has been rectified take a step back reflecting what occurred with lessons learned and utilize that feedback to move forward in prevention in the future. Always be prepared for anything that may pop up and be ready to have a flexible plan. With calmness/patience you will have a foothold and succeed as you go forward.

One cannot talk and listen at the same time. By listening attentively to a customer the real issues and the preferred solutions can be deduced. More damage may be caused if the issue is not understood before offering a solution. Therefore, 1. Allow the customer to fully express themselves, 2. Ask relevant questions to elicit more information or to clarify (use open/closed questions where necessary), 3. Use active listening cues, 4. Note down the key issues, 5. Paraphrase or summarize to the customer. 6. Offer possible solution(s) and agree on the best option.

Active listening is another fundamental aspect of managing a tense situation. Sometimes there's an urge to interject and share an insight with the intent to diffuse the situation quickly. Timely replies that show an understanding of the issues at hand, or asking for clarification can go a long way to showing you care about their issue and are willing to work with them to find a solution. It also allows you to create positive witnesses. Often times you're representing a brand or company and as the person in the spotlight, you can make or break your companies reputation as well as your own.

Assessment leads to accurate prioritization and a determination of the right skills, team and/or solution(s) to handle (for) the situation.

I tell my team to explain their solutions to the customer and to keep them in the loop along the way. Many customers tend to be calm and patient when they have relevant information. Also, keeping promises especially to call-back is very important.