We've all been customers at some point!
Common Courtesy:
Saying “Please” and “Thank you” is more appreciated than you know
Empathy Statements and Tone:
“I know it can be frustrating to have to complete these forms.“
Find Agreement Points:
If the customer sees you as “being on their side”, they are less likely to demand to speak to someone else.
Offer Choices:
Whenever possible, let them know that they can either do A or B – which would they like to hear more about?
Telephone Silence:
One of the best ways to get a customer to stop talking over the phone is to say absolutely nothing. The customer will stop and ask, "Hello, are you there?" and then wait for a response from you. That gives you an opening to use other techniques and get some control over the conversation.
Refocus:
Empathy plus control. For example: "I can see you are angry about the problem. Let's get back to what we can do to help you. I can suggest a few things that might help."