4 Strategies A Security Guard Can Use To Deal With An Angry Customer

When a customer becomes angry inside or near your business, it is your security guard's job to deal with this individual and address or defuse the situation. Here are four different strategies your security guards can employ when dealing with a customer who is angry and upset:

#1 Listen To Them

The first thing your security guards should do when they encounter a customer who is really angry is listen to them. They should demonstrate good listening skills even if they know that the person who is talking and ranting is not in the right.

Your security guard should be looking at the person as they are talking. They should be making eye contact with them. They should be nodding their head as the angry customer talks to them to show them that they are listening to what they are saying.

Often times, when a customer is angry, they just want to feel like they are being heard. Just by actively listening to what the upset customer has to say, your security guard can defuse the situation.

#2 Be Understanding

In addition to listening to the upset customer, your security guards should also be understanding and show empathy with the upset customer. Remember, showing empathy is not the same as saying that the upset customer is right. Showing empathy is a way to assure the customer that their concerns and feelings are valid and being heard.

Phrases such as, "I can image how [fill in the blank with a feeling verb] you must be," or "I understand how you feel" or "I understands why you feel [fill in the blank with a feeling verb]." All of these statements can show the customer that the security guard emphasizes with them and it validates their feelings.

Finally, your security guard can show understanding by apologizing for the inconvenience and letting them know they will look into their concerns.

#3 Agree With Them

Along the lines of being understanding, sometimes it can help for your security guard to agree with a customer when they are upset, to a degree. This can be accomplished by using the language listed in the above point. It can also be accomplished by simply letting the customer know that you see their point or understand what their point is.

By agreeing with the customer, you give the customer a certain degree of power and control that allows them to feel like their feelings and concerns are being addressed. By letting the customer feel in control, the security guard can gain control of the situation by gaining the upset customer's trust. This can help the security guard calm down the customer or escort them off the premise if necessary.

#4 Don't React Emotionally

Finally, when a customer is upset, it is important that your security guards keep their own emotions in check and don't get emotional when engaging with an upset customer. Yelling at a customer and fighting with them will generally only escalate the situation; it will not lead to a resolution.

Even if someone insults them, it is important that your security guard just what the customer says roll off their backs. It is your security guard's job to remain professional and not say anything that will make the situation worse. By remaining calm during a confrontation, your security guard may be able to help the upset customer calm down as well.

Make sure that your security guards are well-trained on how to deal with upset and angry customers in a professional and calm matter that allows the situations to deescalate. Hire from trusted security customers, such as http://www.intellexsecurity.com.

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