Managing Conflict with Customers and Partners – Small Business Show 191

What’s the best way to handle conflict when things go wrong with a customer, partner or employee? Join your hosts Shannon Jean and Dave Hamilton for this episode of the Small Business Show to hear about their experiences in managing, resolving and de-escalating conflicts that will inevitably try to ruin your day.

One of the cornerstones of most conflicts is the misunderstanding of the intention of one or both parties. You’ll learn about methods to be sure your good intentions are interpreted correctly and when sometimes you or your employees will just have to pickup the phone to clear the air.

Next, we jump into a discussion about how to make written correspondence (email, text, chat) show empathy and how creating templated responses can help you set the correct tone you want your customer service department to use when solving conflict. Then it’s on to a discussion about your sense of justice and why it has no place when trying to resolve conflicts with your customers!

You’ll hear us discuss the power of apology (even when you’re not at fault), how to train instruct your team that these are just business decisions and not personal battles and how the Two Token Concept of Customer Service is critically important for success.

Join us today, then ask questions or share your Small Business story at the Small Business Support Group!

Chapters/Timestamps

• 00:00:00 Small Business Show #191 for Wednesday, October 3, 2018
• 00:01:07 Sharing the Charmed Life excitement
• 00:02:31 Know your audience
• 00:04:27 How to de-escalate
• 00:04:53 “How can I take your headache away?”
• 00:07:47 Misunderstanding intention
• 00:08:34 Get on the phone!
• 00:09:30 Show that you care, and are willing to listen
• 00:10:30 Use emojis!
  • TextExpander saves the day
• 00:12:17 Lead with the right message
• 00:13:50 Emotion engenders loyalty
• 00:17:37 SPONSOR: Timing, for anyone billing their hours. Visit timingapp.com/smallbusiness
• 00:19:35 SPONSOR: Gusto is refreshingly easy payroll, benefits, and HR for the modern small business. Visit Gusto.com/SBS for a free, 3-month trial.
• 00:21:18 About our sponsors
• 00:22:10 Justice doesn’t matter
• 00:23:29 Amazon: “That is a business decision”
• 00:26:10 Empower your team to avoid escalation
• 00:27:37 Permission to apologize
  • “I’m sorry that things haven’t gone right for you.”
• 00:29:51 Add empathy to the scenario
  • The Two Token Concept of Customer Service
• 00:32:02 Remember Meatloaf!
• 00:33:07 Define an escalation path
• 00:34:04 Leverage loyalty: “What do you want to do?”
• 00:34:48 Customer service ain’t for everyone!
  • Pacing and Persuasion
• 00:36:13 Find common ground
• 00:37:15 SBS 191 outtro

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