What do you do when a customer threatens self-harm (in a phone call or email)?
People in my workshops ask, “What do I say when a customer threatens suicide?”
Customers in distress are stressful for customer support teams.
When customers threaten self-harm or harm to others, they’ve taken the interaction outside the boundary of sincere conversation.
Understand this.
You’re not trained to handle people in crisis.
I’m not trained to help people in crisis.
Err on the side of caution. When in doubt, reach out to your manager.
Watch my video to see my complete answer on how to handle customers in distress.
Continue the conversation with me?
Check out my De-escalation Academy for help with talking to challenging customers.
The 3R Conversation Control System™
(Formerly De-escalation Academy)Â
A psychology-based system that helps professionals stay calm, redirect difficult conversations, and confidently resolve interactions—even when the answer is no.
Used by teams at Fortune 500 companies and NFL guest experience organizations.
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