4 Customer Baiting Tactics (and How to Outsmart Them)

Have you ever dealt with a customer who seemed determined to push your buttons? If so, you've likely encountered the "bait tactic" - a challenging behavior that can throw even seasoned customer service professionals off their game.

Let's dive into what baiting is, why customers use it, and most importantly, how you can respond effectively to maintain control of the interaction.

Understanding the Bait Tactic

Baiting occurs when customers deliberately try to provoke, frustrate, or elicit a negative reaction from you. It's a form of confrontational behavior that can be particularly challenging to navigate.

Four Common Baiting Behaviors and How to Handle Them

1. The Aggressive Questioner

Some customers bombard you with aggressive or loaded questions, aiming to unsettle you or provoke an argument.

Strategy: Maintain your composure and respond with calm, factual answers. Don't engage in arguments. Present your answers or next steps as you normally would. If interrupted, pause briefly, then continue with your response.

For example: "Mr. Jones, here's what we know, here's what we've done, and here's what's next."

2. The Personal Attacker

This customer hurls insults or criticisms, often targeting personal characteristics like accent, race, gender, or age. Their goal is to agitate you and control your reaction.

Strategy: Don't take these attacks personally. Assertively redirect the conversation back to the issue, emphasizing your willingness to assist.

For instance, if a customer complains about your accent, you might say: "I'm fully trained and capable of assisting you. I kindly ask for your respectful communication so we can focus on resolving your issue. How may I help you today?"

3. The Exaggerator

Some customers exaggerate the severity of an issue or the consequences of not resolving it immediately to pressure you.

Strategy: Acknowledge their feelings while objectively assessing the situation. Provide step-by-step solutions to address their concerns. The "three W" technique (What we know, What we've done, What's next) is particularly effective here.

4. The Public Threatener

These customers threaten to leave negative reviews or escalate the issue publicly to gain leverage.

Strategy:

1. Express your understanding of their frustration and the importance of their satisfaction.

2. Offer to work through the problem together to reach a fair resolution.

3. Focus on resolving the problem or guiding them to the next steps, rather than trying to persuade them not to write a negative review.

Key Principles to Remember

When dealing with baiting tactics, always: - Remain professional and empathetic - Stay solution-focused - Be confident and assertive in your remarks

Remember, being assertive means saying what you mean and meaning what you say, without being mean when you say it.

By applying these strategies, you can lower the temperature of the interaction, regain control, and guide it towards a resolution or the appropriate next steps.

Have you encountered any of these baiting tactics in your customer service experiences? How did you handle them? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Myra is a favorite training partner to Fortune 500 companies with her customized, engaging, behavior-changing (and fun) customer service workshops, working with McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, Frito-Lay, Michelin, Vera Bradley, and other brands. Myra is also an Author at LinkedIn Learning. Learn more about Myra at MyraGolden.com.?