After ten years in customer support, de-escalating customers is still the hardest and the most rewarding part of my job.
It’s the hardest because, unlike skills like working with APIs or troubleshooting browser issues, de-escalation isn’t always explicitly taught.
But it’s the most rewarding because all of the tools in our toolbox for de-escalating customers—empathy and compassion, active listening, clear and concise communication—are the same tools we use to build relationships.
Time spent de-escalating a customer is also time spent getting to know them, understanding their needs, and finding common ground.
I’ve found that the customers I’ve had to help through difficult conversations trust my company more, invest in our product more substantially, and become the most vocal proponents of our offerings.
The reward is worth the difficulty, so let’s skip the hard part by intentionally learning how to de-escalate customers so that they—and we—can build lasting, positive connections.