Dealing with Aggressive Customers

The following article about dealing with aggressive customers has been prepared for NGSU by the Suzy Lamplugh Trust. Incidents of serious workplace aggression are very rare but in these difficult times more customers may be dealing with financial problems and occasionally their anxiety can turn into aggressive behaviour. We've published this article to raise awareness of the issue and provide guidance on how to recognise and manage such situations. Nationwide has procedures for dealing with workplace violence and we recommend that members make themselves familiar with these.

Dealing With Aggressive Customers

As the credit crunch continues, it is likely that more of the bank's customers are going to struggle financially. If they are having problems with their mortgage, with selling their house or because of loss of earnings due to the drop in interest rates on their savings, it is possible that they may be more anxious. It is then possible that this anxiety and even desperation could turn to aggression and even violence against bank staff.

When a person's job involves dealing with members of the public, there is always a chance – no matter how good their employer's personal safety policies and procedures are – that that person may, on occasions, be on the receiving end of aggression. When those members of the public are upset, desperate or angry, the more likely it is that they could become aggressive. Therefore it is now particularly important, that you know how to defuse a potentially aggressive or violent situation should it become necessary.

In order to be able to manage aggression effectively, we need to know how to recognise early warning signals and make an appropriate assessment of the situation. We also need the skills to manage our own behaviour and improve our own verbal and non-verbal communication skills.

Early Warning Signals

It is highly unlikely that a customer will suddenly turn aggressive or violent without warning. Someone who is becoming potentially violent will nearly always give off early warning signs and signals. These can include:
Tapping the table; loud speech; muscles tension in face; hands or limbs; fidgeting; hand wringing; finger wagging or jabbing; pacing, staring eyes; sweating; over sensitivity to what is being said; rapid moods swings; rapid unpredictable arm movements; speed of speech. We must learn to recognise these warning signals and be prepared to act on them to calm the situation before the aggression escalates.

Unfortunately this is not always easy. During any aggressive encounter, our emotions and behaviour are likely to respond to those of the aggressor. This means that at the most critical time during the encounter, when the aggressor is at their most volatile and we need to be able to calm them down, we will also be experiencing increased levels of emotional and psychological turmoil. This makes it very difficult to behave in a rational and controlled manner and reduces the ability to manage the situation effectively.

However, it is essential that we learn to do so, as our own behaviour will in turn have a major impact on the outcome of the situation. Aggression can become a vicious circle – one person displays aggressive behaviour; another person recognises that behaviour and perceives it as a threat, which activates feelings of anger and fear. They then display physical signs of these feelings; the first person recognises this behaviour and sees it as a threat, which reinforces their original anger and aggression.

Therefore our aim should be to choose to act appropriately when dealing with aggression and violence, rather than reacting in a manner that could escalate the situation.

Managing Our Own Behaviour

Assertiveness

Assertive behaviour describes ways of relating to and interacting with other people that recognises and respects the rights, feelings and opinions of both parties. Behaving assertively is helpful for both you and the people you come into contact with.

When being assertive in a situation, the first step is to show the other person that you are listening, that we understand their point of view and recognise their right to say what they think.

The second step is to say what your desired outcome is. This does not mean that you are going to get this; however it can help towards forming a workable compromise.

Non-Verbal Communication

Non-verbal communication is extremely influential. Only 7% of a message is conveyed with words, whereas 55% is conveyed by body language and 38% by tone of voice. Therefore you can tell the customer that you sympathise with them and understand their problems, but if you are bored, desperate to go home or just fed-up, this information can leak out in your body language or voice. This will then be picked up by the customer and will override anything you are saying. Therefore your body language and tone of voice needs to be congruent with your verbal messages.

You should be particularly wary of give-away gestures such as twiddling thumbs or looking at the clock - often signs of boredom, or rubbing your chin, which is often a sign of doubting what is being said. You may think that what you are saying and even your facial expression is portraying concern and empathy but the above 'leakage' will give you away every time.

Posture is also a very strong clue as to how someone is feeling. A confident, assertive person is likely to have a relaxed, upright posture. So by sitting relaxed, just slightly slumped with upright head and alert eyes, you will indicate confident interest on your part. Avoid sitting with your bottom a long way forward in your seat, with your legs extended and your head forward or your hands behind your head, as this indicates an attitude of superiority.

Active Listening

People become aggressive for a number of reasons, including when they feel they are not being listened to properly or taken seriously enough. Therefore an important skill to have when dealing with people is 'active listening'.

This is about not only listening carefully but also showing that you are listening and understanding what is being said - by nodding, taking notes, asking for points to be clarified and so on. Listening well is not a natural skill. Most people are so intent on interrupting and saying their piece that they miss half of what is being said to them. Active listening is a basic conflict resolution skill which anyone who interacts with the public needs to master.

Achieving a Positive Outcome

If a customer arrives looking upset, try to correctly identify their feelings and what is cause might be. If you are uncertain, don't guess their emotions – don't assume they are angry when they could be scared. Ask questions if you are not sure eg. "You look upset that…..". This opens the way for them to explain their feelings. This helps to calm the situation and build a rapport, as it lets them know that not only do you understand what they are feeling but also why they are feeling that way.

The next step is to let them know that you are ready to help them deal with the situation and make sure they take part in deciding on the solution.

If practical, make the first step towards achieving the solution then and there, eg. Don't just say you will start the ball rolling by calling someone/changing an account etc., do it in front of them so that they can see you mean what you say.

Finally, never promise something you can't deliver and if you have agreed to do something as part of the resolution, you need to take responsibility to ensure that this is done. Failing to do so will only create increased aggression in the future.

Be Prepared to Exit the Situation

Dealing with upset, agitated and potentially aggressive or violent individuals is a skill that can be learnt and once learnt it can make working life a lot easier and safer. However, once you have learnt the appropriate skills, do not assume that you will always be able to defuse a situation. Some aggressors are beyond control and if, when assessing a particular situation, you feel this is fast becoming the case, your first priority should be to get away. Always have an excuse ready for such an emergency, eg. You need to go and ask somebody something/get some paperwork that will help solve the problem.

The above outlines just some of the skills that can help you defuse aggression from customers. For more guidance and information on workplace safety and training visit www.suzylamplugh.org or call 020 7091 0014.

March 2009