When a customer is frustrated

Start with what happened

Let the customer finish. Listen for the actual problem and the effect it had on them. A late technician may mean more than a missed appointment—it may mean lost wages or an entire day rearranged.

Four steps for the call

1. Let them finish without preparing your rebuttal.
2. Name the impact: “You expected an update, and you haven’t received one.”
3. Say what you can do, who will do it, and when.
4. Confirm the next step before ending the call.

Be specific about the next step

If you need to check with dispatch, say so. Give a realistic update time you can follow through on. Avoid promising an arrival time you haven’t confirmed.

Suz says

“An apology without a next step is just hold music with feelings.”