Working in any service or retail business employees come in contact with customers that are really not satisfied with the product or service they received. Have you ever had a car repair that you paid alot of money for but as it turned out the problem still was there? First thing that happens is you get this really bad feeling in your stomach that you got ripped off and you want to vent to those who did the repair. You make the phone call or go in person and the first thing out of your mouth is to voice displeasure at the first person you see or hear on the phone. This in return gets the other person on the other end of your displeasure angry and fired up just the same.
As an employee or Independent Contractor you have to realize that it isn't personal. If recognizing the first reaction of a customer with a problem is going to be anger then you already have half the battle won. At Aberration Pro Custom Tattoo Company our stores are in two different geographic locations with two totally different client base. Someone dealing with one of the stores would be different then another customer in the other geographic location. What both clients have in common is human emotion. To what degree they voice it is another thing but taking away the emotion part of the argument or complaint is the first line of defense for the employee. When customers start yelling or voicing their comments loud an employee must keep a steady normal voice. This might be hard because we as humans take everything personal. Really the only thing that the customer is trying to do is be heard. Our jobs working at the shops is to hear them out. Don't interrupt the customer during the rant as I call it Let them get it out and remember to stay calm and keep a normal voice when replying. By replying in a normal voice tone you will notice how steady the voice of the angry customer starts to lower until finally they start speaking normal.
By allowing the customer to vent and talking normal back to them you are using VERBAL JUDO!!! Employees have to first understand don't take anything personal, stay calm and let them vent, if need be refer them to a supervisor. People who have reason will suddenly realize that the only one yelling will be them. Remember you are trying to keep this customer a returning customer. Tattoo and Piercing is mainly a word of mouth business. It is our jobs to make sure that the customer is feeling good and happy even if they came in wanting to ream everyone a new asshole. 1 negative will turn into 10 clients lost.