Never assign blame. When you offer your solution, do not fault the customer. For example, how would you feel hearing the following: "If you had scheduled your appointment the first time you called we would have come out." Statements like this will put the customer on the defensive. When you are trying to help a difficult customer, blaming serves no purpose. Likewise, never blame another employee or department. Saying, "The first employee you spoke with should have scheduled your appointment," may relieve you from blame, but this statement serves no purpose. To the customer, you are the company. Use I or we when referring to your company to show you are accountable.It is true both in business and in the rest of your life: the blame game may feel satisfying in the moment, but it does not actually fix any problem. When a customer has an issue, especially if he or she is very upset or angry about it, it can be very difficult to not respond immediately with blame. Often, the issue is genuinely not your fault, and so you don't feel like you're actually "blaming" anyone by just explaining who caused the problem. But remember - the customer doesn't need to know, and frankly doesn't care, that it wasn't your fault. The customer really only wants to know what you are going to do to fix it. Stay focused on what you will do to resolve the issue and keep the finger pointing out of it. Not only is this more effective, but it shows your customer that you are confident and capable and results in a more positive customer experience.
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