Final answer:
An employee should apologize, demonstrate empathy, and focus on a solution to show genuine concern for a customer's complaint. They should communicate effectively to avoid misunderstandings and resolve issues without escalating them, involving supervisors or HR if needed.
Step-by-step explanation:
To demonstrate genuine concern for a customer's feelings and complaint while opening a register and taking the next customer, an employee should:
- Apologize to the customer and offer a solution. This acknowledgment shows that the employee values the customer and is taking responsibility for the situation.
- Show empathy towards the customer by understanding their perspective, and address their concerns directly. This can help de-escalate the situation and make the customer feel heard.
- Choose their words carefully to prevent escalating the situation, stay calm, attentively listen, and use open-ended questions to fully understand the customer's complaint.
- Restate what they heard to ensure there is no misunderstanding and to affirm that they were actively listening.
- Focus on solving the problem, not blaming, and involve supervisors or HR if the conflict can't be resolved independently.
For example, if an employee in a retail store is confronted by their manager about a cash drawer discrepancy and wrongly labelled as a thief, they should remain calm and use these techniques to address the situation. They can show their commitment to excellent customer service and respect for their manager's authority by professionally explaining the situation and seeking a fair resolution.