How to Handle Requests for A Supervisor

For an employee tasked with interacting with customers, those words can either bring relief or discomfort. Workers with supervisors who are more than happy to handle any customer complaints may feel relieved to be able to send an angry customer to someone else. In some organizations, though, employees are urged to avoid escalation at all costs and instead continue to try to help the unhappy customer. If they feel their jobs might be jeopardized, they may feel uncomfortable when a customer insists to speak to someone in a higher position.

In an era of online channel video of Exercise songs, businesses have a unique opportunity, whether they interact with customers in person, online, or on the phone. One survey of unhappy customers showed that 17 percent of customers who had a problem with a business spoke to someone about it. While most unhappy customers will leave without complaining, that 17 percent may be convinced to give a business a second chance. This means that when a customer asks to speak to a supervisor, it should be taken seriously. Here are four important tips that can help.

Every business needs an upper-level employee designated to handle requests for supervisor intervention. That said, many businesses do work hard to avoid escalations. Have a documented list of procedures and use that list in training new employees. As long as your employees know what to do when a customer asks to speak to a supervisor, you’ll be covered. You should also closely monitor these employee-customer interactions to identify any issues that need to be addressed.

If your employees transfer an upset customer to a supervisor who can’t help, the issue will only worsen. It’s important to equip your supervisors with the training and authority they need to resolve complaints, whether it means offering a full refund or providing a free item or service. For representatives interacting by phone, sometimes it helps to have one or two senior customer service specialists who have a gift in these types of interactions. A supervisor may be better at managing and disciplining employees but not showing empathy when a customer is behaving in a hostile manner.

One way to destroy morale is by setting a policy that you don’t uphold for the most difficult customers. If your employees are told to say under no circumstances will you issue a refund for items without a receipt, but they get that refund when they ask to speak to a supervisor, your employee will feel unsupported. If your policy is to quiet a furious customer by giving in, give your employees the authority to make that decision, as well.

It’s equally important that your supervisors avoid chastising employees in front of customers, even if that worker has done something that merits disciplinary action. Supervisors and managers must remain professional at all times. Before you draw conclusions based on what one customer says, though, get the employee’s side of the story and, if possible, pull recordings to determine if this is a pattern for either this particular employee or customer. If this is the first issue with this team member, begin the disciplinary process with a warning and possibly train the employee on how to deal with customer complaints in a more effective manner.

When a customer asks to speak to a supervisor, it’s important for your employees to handle the process gracefully. As long as you have senior staff in place, you’ll be able to turn unhappy customers into brand loyalists who will do business with you again and tell friends and family about the great customer service they received.