This document discusses how to effectively handle angry customers in a school setting. It defines who a customer is, including both internal and external stakeholders. The six basic needs of school customers are outlined as friendliness, understanding, fairness, control, options, and information. When dealing with an angry customer, effective strategies include listening without interrupting, asking clarifying questions, providing a solution, and following up. School staff should respect customers, remain calm and patient, and avoid blaming in order to resolve issues and leave customers feeling heard and satisfied.

1. PUBLIC SCHOOLS HAVE
CUSTOMERS TOO!!!

2. WHY IS THIS P. D. IMPORTANT?
Refresher course for our staff
To assist you in dealing with difficult people
To improve the district’s image with our
customers
To help the district function more efficiently
Key to creating family-friendly schools

3. WHAT IS A CUSTOMER?
A customer is someone who brings us his or
her needs and desires. It is our job to care
for those needs and desires.
The customer is not an interruption of our
work.
He or she is the purpose of our work. We
are not doing customers a favor by offering
education as a product for their consumption.

4. WHO ARE OUR CUSTOMERS?
Internal
Colleagues
Board members
Students

5. WHO ARE OUR CUSTOMERS?
External
Parents
Community members
Employees from other districts
Students
Vendors and people with whom we do
business

6. SIX BASIC NEEDS OF SCHOOL
CUSTOMERS
1. Friendliness
2. Understanding and empathy
3. Fairness
4. Control
5. Options and alternatives
6. Information

7. THE ANGRY CUSTOMER
Customer feels ignored
Customer was already upset by someone
else
Customer has a chip on their shoulder
Someone promised something that was
not delivered
Someone was rude to them
Customer was transferred without consent
or put on hold for a long time

8. Customer was told they had no right to
be angry
Customer’s integrity or honesty was
questioned
Someone argued with customer
Customer feels you don’t know what you
are talking about
Customer acted on advice provided by
someone…and it was wrong

9. WHAT DOES AN ANGRY CUSTOMERS
REALLY WANT FROM US?
To be listened to
To be taken seriously
To be understood
To be treated with respect
Quick action
Someone to be reprimanded or punished
Assurance the problem will not occur
again

10. WHAT IS YOUR CONFLICT
MANAGEMENT STYLE?

11. WHAT IS YOUR CONFLICT
MANAGEMENT STYLE?
If you chose 'A' answers most often,
your style is:
Avoidance

12. WHAT IS YOUR CONFLICT
MANAGEMENT STYLE?
If you chose 'B' answers most often,
your style is:
Analyzing

13. WHAT IS YOUR
CONFLICT
MANAGEMENT STYLE?
If you chose ‘C’ answers most often,
your style is:
Assertive

14. WHAT IS YOUR
CONFLICT
MANAGEMENT STYLE?
If you chose 'D' answers most often,
your style is:
Aggressive

15. FOUR BASIC STEPS TO DEFUSING AN
ANGRY CUSTOMER
Listen
Ask questions and summarize
Provide a solution and work together
Follow up

16. EFFECTIVE LISTENING
How do you do this?
LISTEN
LISTEN
LISTEN

17. TEN STEPS TO EFFECTIVE LISTENING
1. Face the speaker and maintain eye
contact
2. Be attentive yet relaxed
3. Keep an open mind
4. Listen to the words and try to picture
what the speaker is saying
5. Don't interrupt and don't impose
your “solutions”

18. TEN STEPS TO EFFECTIVE LISTENING
6. Wait for the speaker to pause to ask
clarifying questions
7. Ask questions only to ensure
understanding
8. Try to feel what the speaker is feeling
9. Give the speaker regular feedbacks
10. Pay attention to non-verbal cues

19. QUESTIONS TO USE TO DEFUSE THE
ANGRY CUSTOMER
Build Relationship
Gather Information
Clarify Information
Identify Interests
Provide Information
Probe for Solutions
Reframe Positions / Common Ground
Confront and Initiate

20. RESPECTING THE CUSTOMER
Judge the content, not the delivery
Look beyond the anger at the real problem
Take notes and don’t forget to summarize
Stick to the facts, don’t put in editorial
comments
Offer a solution, ask for the customer’s
input

21. RESPECTING THE CUSTOMER
Follow up, complete the necessary
paperwork
Follow up by calling the person /
department responsible
When the interaction is complete,
apologize and thank the customer

22. DURING THE INCIDENT
Don’t TIP….(Take It Personally)
Never dismiss a complaint
Give your undivided attention
Speak in a calm, reassuring voice
Establish rapport by using the
customer’s name
Don’t start a chain reaction

23. DURING THE INCIDENT
Practice patience and keep an open mind
When responding to customers, don’t use
jargon or language that intimidates
Don’t shift the blame
Don’t make excuses
Voice
Tone
Body Language

24. AFTER THE CUSTOMER LEAVES
TAKE A BREAK!
Inform your supervisor
Learn from the experience
Was there anything you could have done
differently?

25. AFTER THE CUSTOMER LEAVES
Did you listen intently and not interrupt?
Did you push the customer’s hot button?
Could you have said something else to
calm the customer?
Follow up with the customer

26. CONCLUSION
It’s up to you. You can be the villain or the
hero
Remember not to TIP (Take it Personally)
Share what you learned from the situation
with co-workers

27. CONCLUSION
Handling upset customers is not the job
that most of us want to do, but it’s an
essential part of our jobs.
What it all boils down to is …What type of
story do we want them to tell?…Because
they will tell their story

28. TIPS FOR SCHOOL SECRETARIES
Ask yourself how you would like to be
treated…
1. Be first to make contact
2. Minimize inconvenience to the customer
3. Be sure of your facts
4. If your not sure, don’t say it
5. Be honest

29. TIPS FOR SCHOOL SECRETARIES
Ask yourself how you would like to be
treated…
6. Know their names
7. Ask for feedback
8. When you listen, make sure you hear
9. Be flexible
10. Say goodbye

30. IF YOU SEE SOMEONE WITHOUT A SMILE,
GIVE THEM ONE OF YOURS!