gray314•22d agoMost Upvoted

Chat with a grumpy plumber changed how I handle angry clients

Was on a call last week and the homeowner started yelling because I was 10 minutes late. Instead of apologizing again like I usually do, I just listened and asked what time works better for him next visit. He calmed down instantly and even tipped me $20. Has anyone else tried just letting the client vent first instead of jumping into damage control?

3 comments

3 Comments

thea_bell22d ago

Elizabeth, your point about the 5 minutes of ranting is exactly right. I learned that the hard way after years of trying to fix things while a client is still hot. When someone's yelling, their brain can't hear a solution anyway. So now I just nod, say "I hear you," and wait until they run out of steam. It usually takes about 3 or 4 minutes tops. Once they're done, they're ready to actually work with you on a fix.

tessalane21d ago

@thea_bell nailed it, letting them burn out first is the real secret.

the_elizabeth22d ago

Oh man, I totally get this. I had a similar thing happen when a customer was furious about a shipping delay - I just let them rant for like 5 minutes straight without interrupting. Once they got it all out, they said "okay, so what can you actually do?" and we fixed it in 2 minutes flat. It's wild how just shutting up and listening turns a screaming match into a normal conversation.