[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":82},["ShallowReactive",2],{"content-post-blog-customer-experience-handle-difficult-customers-on-the-phone":3,"content-categories-blog":42,"content-posts-blog-customer-experience":70},{"section":4,"category":5,"slug":6,"title":7,"excerpt":8,"date":9,"modified":9,"readMinutes":10,"author":11,"image":12,"art":13,"html":16,"toc":17},"blog","customer-experience","handle-difficult-customers-on-the-phone","How to Handle Difficult Customers on the Phone","Calm, practical techniques for difficult phone calls: listen first, acknowledge, take ownership, offer options and follow up the right way.","2026-10-17T13:10:23Z",2,"Amanda Brown","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.tocaller.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2026\u002F10\u002Ftc-art-handle-difficult-customers-on-the-phone-ac397016.svg",{"color":14,"scene":15},"#61E584","chart","\u003Cp>Every team that talks to customers will get difficult calls: someone angry about a mistake, frustrated after calling three times, or simply having a bad day. On the phone there’s no body language to help, and tone carries everything. The good news is that handling these calls is a skill, and it can be learned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2 id=\"why-difficult-calls-are-harder-on-the-phone\">Why difficult calls are harder on the phone\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cul>\n\u003Cli>The caller can’t see that you’re listening, so silence can feel like indifference.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>Waiting and transfers add frustration before you even say hello.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>Both sides tend to talk faster and interrupt more when they can’t see each other.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003C\u002Ful>\n\u003Ch2 id=\"the-first-30-seconds\">The first 30 seconds\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Col>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Introduce yourself by name.\u003C\u002Fstrong> It’s harder to stay angry at a person than at a company.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Let them talk.\u003C\u002Fstrong> Don’t interrupt the first explanation, even if you already know the answer.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Take notes.\u003C\u002Fstrong> You’ll need the details, and it stops you from planning your reply instead of listening.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003C\u002Fol>\n\u003Ch2 id=\"listen-actively\">Listen actively\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>Active listening shows the caller they’ve been heard:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cul>\n\u003Cli>Use short signals: “I see”, “okay”, “go on”.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>Repeat the key facts back: “So the order arrived damaged, and this is the second time you’ve called about it.”\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>Ask clarifying questions rather than defending the company.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003C\u002Ful>\n\u003Ch2 id=\"de-escalate\">De-escalate\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Ch3>Acknowledge the feeling\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\u003Cp>“That’s frustrating, especially after calling before.” Acknowledging is not the same as admitting fault; it simply recognises the person’s experience.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch3>Apologise for the experience\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\u003Cp>“I’m sorry you’ve had to deal with this.” A sincere, specific apology lowers the temperature quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch3>Lower your pace and volume\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\u003Cp>People tend to mirror the tone they hear. Speaking a little slower and calmer helps the caller do the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch3>Take ownership\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\u003Cp>“I’m going to make sure this gets sorted.” Avoid passing the caller on unless someone else really can solve it faster, and if you transfer, explain the situation to your colleague first so the caller doesn’t have to repeat it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2 id=\"move-to-solutions\">Move to solutions\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cul>\n\u003Cli>Offer options where you can: “I can send a replacement today, or refund you. Which would you prefer?”\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>Be honest about what you can’t do, and focus on what you can.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>If you need time, give a concrete promise: “I’ll call you back before 4 pm today with an answer.”\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003C\u002Ful>\n\u003Ch2 id=\"phrases-that-help-and-ones-to-avoid\">Phrases that help (and ones to avoid)\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Ctable>\n\u003Cthead>\n\u003Ctr>\n\u003Cth>Instead of\u003C\u002Fth>\n\u003Cth>Try\u003C\u002Fth>\n\u003C\u002Ftr>\n\u003C\u002Fthead>\n\u003Ctbody>\n\u003Ctr>\n\u003Ctd>“Calm down.”\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003Ctd>“I understand, let’s sort this out together.”\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003C\u002Ftr>\n\u003Ctr>\n\u003Ctd>“That’s our policy.”\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003Ctd>“Here’s what I can do for you.”\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003C\u002Ftr>\n\u003Ctr>\n\u003Ctd>“I don’t know.”\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003Ctd>“Let me find out for you.”\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003C\u002Ftr>\n\u003Ctr>\n\u003Ctd>“You’ll have to call back.”\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003Ctd>“I’ll call you back by …”\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003C\u002Ftr>\n\u003C\u002Ftbody>\n\u003C\u002Ftable>\n\u003Ch2 id=\"when-a-call-crosses-the-line\">When a call crosses the line\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>Customers can be upset, but your team shouldn’t accept abuse. Agree on a clear policy: give one calm warning, then end the call politely if it continues. Make sure agents know they will be supported when they do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2 id=\"after-the-call\">After the call\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cul>\n\u003Cli>Write a short note on the contact: what happened, what you promised, by when.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>Follow up exactly when you said you would, even if only to give a status update.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>Take a minute before the next call. A short post-call buffer helps agents reset.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>With consent, review recordings of difficult calls as a team; they’re the best training material you have.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003C\u002Ful>\n\u003Cp>Many difficult calls start with a long wait. Shorter queues mean calmer callers: see \u003Ca href=\"\u002Fblog\u002Fcustomer-support\u002Freduce-phone-wait-times\u002F\">how to reduce customer wait times on the phone\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n",[18,21,24,27,30,33,36,39],{"id":19,"text":20},"why-difficult-calls-are-harder-on-the-phone","Why difficult calls are harder on the phone",{"id":22,"text":23},"the-first-30-seconds","The first 30 seconds",{"id":25,"text":26},"listen-actively","Listen actively",{"id":28,"text":29},"de-escalate","De-escalate",{"id":31,"text":32},"move-to-solutions","Move to solutions",{"id":34,"text":35},"phrases-that-help-and-ones-to-avoid","Phrases that help (and ones to avoid)",{"id":37,"text":38},"when-a-call-crosses-the-line","When a call crosses the line",{"id":40,"text":41},"after-the-call","After the call",[43,48,54,60,66],{"section":4,"slug":44,"title":45,"description":46,"icon":47,"color":14},"small-business","Small Business","Practical phone setups for small teams and growing businesses.","users",{"section":4,"slug":49,"title":50,"description":51,"icon":52,"color":53},"sales","Sales","Call scripts, metrics and habits that help sales teams win more conversations.","note","#E4715C",{"section":4,"slug":55,"title":56,"description":57,"icon":58,"color":59},"customer-support","Customer Support","Solve more on the first call and keep customers from waiting.","user-check","#66AAFE",{"section":4,"slug":61,"title":62,"description":63,"icon":64,"color":65},"call-center","Call Center","Routing, queues and the numbers that keep a phone team running smoothly.","route","#ECCC37",{"section":4,"slug":5,"title":67,"description":68,"icon":47,"color":69},"Customer Experience","Make every phone conversation feel easy, even the difficult ones.","#AB7AF2",[71,74],{"section":4,"category":5,"slug":6,"title":7,"excerpt":8,"date":9,"modified":9,"readMinutes":10,"author":11,"image":12,"art":72,"html":73},{"color":14,"scene":15},"\u003Cp>Every team that talks to customers will get difficult calls: someone angry about a mistake, frustrated after calling three times, or simply having a bad day. On the phone there’s no body language to help, and tone carries everything. The good news is that handling these calls is a skill, and it can be learned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2>Why difficult calls are harder on the phone\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cul>\n\u003Cli>The caller can’t see that you’re listening, so silence can feel like indifference.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>Waiting and transfers add frustration before you even say hello.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>Both sides tend to talk faster and interrupt more when they can’t see each other.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003C\u002Ful>\n\u003Ch2>The first 30 seconds\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Col>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Introduce yourself by name.\u003C\u002Fstrong> It’s harder to stay angry at a person than at a company.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Let them talk.\u003C\u002Fstrong> Don’t interrupt the first explanation, even if you already know the answer.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Take notes.\u003C\u002Fstrong> You’ll need the details, and it stops you from planning your reply instead of listening.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003C\u002Fol>\n\u003Ch2>Listen actively\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>Active listening shows the caller they’ve been heard:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cul>\n\u003Cli>Use short signals: “I see”, “okay”, “go on”.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>Repeat the key facts back: “So the order arrived damaged, and this is the second time you’ve called about it.”\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>Ask clarifying questions rather than defending the company.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003C\u002Ful>\n\u003Ch2>De-escalate\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Ch3>Acknowledge the feeling\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\u003Cp>“That’s frustrating, especially after calling before.” Acknowledging is not the same as admitting fault; it simply recognises the person’s experience.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch3>Apologise for the experience\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\u003Cp>“I’m sorry you’ve had to deal with this.” A sincere, specific apology lowers the temperature quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch3>Lower your pace and volume\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\u003Cp>People tend to mirror the tone they hear. Speaking a little slower and calmer helps the caller do the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch3>Take ownership\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\u003Cp>“I’m going to make sure this gets sorted.” Avoid passing the caller on unless someone else really can solve it faster, and if you transfer, explain the situation to your colleague first so the caller doesn’t have to repeat it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2>Move to solutions\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cul>\n\u003Cli>Offer options where you can: “I can send a replacement today, or refund you. Which would you prefer?”\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>Be honest about what you can’t do, and focus on what you can.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>If you need time, give a concrete promise: “I’ll call you back before 4 pm today with an answer.”\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003C\u002Ful>\n\u003Ch2>Phrases that help (and ones to avoid)\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Ctable>\n\u003Cthead>\n\u003Ctr>\n\u003Cth>Instead of\u003C\u002Fth>\n\u003Cth>Try\u003C\u002Fth>\n\u003C\u002Ftr>\n\u003C\u002Fthead>\n\u003Ctbody>\n\u003Ctr>\n\u003Ctd>“Calm down.”\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003Ctd>“I understand, let’s sort this out together.”\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003C\u002Ftr>\n\u003Ctr>\n\u003Ctd>“That’s our policy.”\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003Ctd>“Here’s what I can do for you.”\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003C\u002Ftr>\n\u003Ctr>\n\u003Ctd>“I don’t know.”\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003Ctd>“Let me find out for you.”\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003C\u002Ftr>\n\u003Ctr>\n\u003Ctd>“You’ll have to call back.”\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003Ctd>“I’ll call you back by …”\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003C\u002Ftr>\n\u003C\u002Ftbody>\n\u003C\u002Ftable>\n\u003Ch2>When a call crosses the line\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>Customers can be upset, but your team shouldn’t accept abuse. Agree on a clear policy: give one calm warning, then end the call politely if it continues. Make sure agents know they will be supported when they do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2>After the call\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cul>\n\u003Cli>Write a short note on the contact: what happened, what you promised, by when.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>Follow up exactly when you said you would, even if only to give a status update.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>Take a minute before the next call. A short post-call buffer helps agents reset.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>With consent, review recordings of difficult calls as a team; they’re the best training material you have.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003C\u002Ful>\n\u003Cp>Many difficult calls start with a long wait. Shorter queues mean calmer callers: see \u003Ca href=\"\u002Fblog\u002Fcustomer-support\u002Freduce-phone-wait-times\u002F\">how to reduce customer wait times on the phone\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n",{"section":4,"category":5,"slug":75,"title":76,"excerpt":77,"date":78,"modified":78,"readMinutes":10,"author":11,"image":79,"art":80,"html":81},"ivr-menu-best-practices","Phone Menus Customers Don’t Hate: 7 IVR Best Practices","How to design a phone menu (IVR) that gets callers to the right place fast: fewer options, clear wording and an easy way to reach a person.","2026-10-17T13:06:23Z","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.tocaller.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2026\u002F10\u002Ftc-art-ivr-menu-best-practices-28a81f9a.svg",{"color":53,"scene":15},"\u003Cp>An IVR (interactive voice response) menu is the “press 1 for sales, press 2 for support” message callers hear before they reach a person. A good menu gets callers to the right place in seconds. A bad one is the reason people mash the zero key or hang up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Here are seven practical rules for phone menus your customers won’t hate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2>1. Only add a menu when you need one\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>If every caller ends up with the same team, skip the menu and ring the team directly. A menu is worth it when you have genuinely different teams, like sales, support and billing, or different locations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2>2. Keep it to three or four options\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>Callers have to remember every option until they hear the one they want. Beyond four, they forget the first ones. If you need more, split them across different phone numbers rather than adding a second menu level.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2>3. Put the most common reason first\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>Look at why people actually call and order the options by volume. If most callers want support, “For support, press 1” saves the majority several seconds on every call.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2>4. Use the caller’s words, not your org chart\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>“For questions about an order, press 1” works better than “For fulfilment operations, press 1”. Name the reason for the call, not the department.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2>5. Say the reason before the number\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>“For billing, press 2” is easier to follow than “Press 2 for billing”, because callers hear the option first and are ready for the number when it comes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2>6. Always offer a way to reach a person\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>Some callers don’t fit any option. Give them a clear path: “For anything else, press 0” or simply route them to a person if they don’t choose. Never end a menu in silence or loop it forever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2>7. Keep the greeting short and useful\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>Skip “your call is very important to us”. Say your name, and if one piece of information answers many calls (opening hours, a website for tracking orders), say it once at the start.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2>Example: a simple menu that works\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cblockquote>\u003Cp>“Thanks for calling Northside Dental. To book or change an appointment, press 1. For prescriptions, press 2. For anything else, press 3, or stay on the line.”\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fblockquote>\n\u003Cp>Each option leads to the right people, outside opening hours callers hear when you open, and voicemail catches every call nobody can answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2>Review your menu regularly\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cul>\n\u003Cli>Call your own number and listen as a customer would.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>Check which options are rarely chosen and remove or merge them.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>Watch abandoned calls by option: an option that loses callers needs fixing. See \u003Ca href=\"\u002Fblog\u002Fcall-center\u002Freduce-call-abandonment\u002F\">how to reduce call abandonment\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003C\u002Ful>\n\u003Ch2>Build it in ToCaller\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>In ToCaller a phone menu is the \u003Cstrong>Menu\u003C\u002Fstrong> block in a number’s call flow: callers pick an option with the keypad, and each option connects to the next block, such as Dial to ring a team, Voicemail, or an AI Agent. Add a \u003Cstrong>Playback Audio\u003C\u002Fstrong> greeting before it and \u003Cstrong>Business Hours\u003C\u002Fstrong> to handle evenings and weekends. Our \u003Ca href=\"\u002Fblog\u002Fcall-center\u002Fcall-routing-guide\u002F\">call routing guide\u003C\u002Fa> shows how these pieces fit together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n",1793384543337]