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Dealing with Difficult Customers

Guest post by: Gary Jeffress

Article Overview: Difficult customers come in different shapes and sizes. They are difficult in a number of ways. Some are angry, some can be talkative, a fair share of them are indecisive. There are plenty of people who are impatient and demanding. Gary discusses in this article how you and your staff can better deal with customer complaints and difficult customers within your business.

Dealing with Difficult Customers

Difficult customers come in different shapes and sizes. They are difficult in a number of ways. Some are angry, some can be talkative, a fair share of them are indecisive, (don’t know what they want). There are plenty of people who are impatient and demanding and this leads to them being downright intimidating. Nobody will respond favourably to most of these traits. Remember, you can’t control the behaviour of others, but you can control your own. Your reactions to their behaviour often has a large bearing on the difficult customers response. It is sometimes in the nature of the person to act like this, so here are a few helpful things you can do to help the situation: - Stay controlled yourself: Don’t argue with the customer. It’s easy to let the customer or the situation get on top of you, but if you believe you can handle it, you will. The customer will be lost if you show them contempt or displeasure. Don’t take this situation personally. - Don’t be in a hurry to get off the phone. Your job is customers, and customers are your job. You should be ready to talk to customers as long as is necessary to meet their problems or concerns. - Really listen to customers to get at the heart of their issue. - Learn non-confrontational language. - Empathize with the customer’s issues and paraphrase them to demonstrate that you’ve been paying attention, before trying to solve their problem or give an answer. - Don’t get emotionally involved. Try not to take the situation personally-the customer is yelling because you’re there to yell at and they don’t feel heard, not because there is anything wrong with you. - Take extensive notes so you can keep track of everything that’s been said. This will also keep you focused on the conversation. - Don’t take a condescending tone, or a tired one. Adopt a calm, reasonable tone. Don’t speak too fast, or too slow. - Try not to put a customer on hold. If you are going to put the customer on hold, let the customer know what you’ll be doing. For example, if you really need a supervisor to okay a solution, say, “Mary, I’m going to put you on hold for a second. I have to go speak to Tom about possible options.” Never say that you’re going to “get the supervisor to okay it,” as that will tend to make the customer feel like they’re jumping through hoops, even if you’re the one doing the jumping. - If you’re dealing with the customer in person, stay aware of your body language. Avoid defensive, impatient, or angry body language.

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Article Tags: angry customers, business, business complaints, customer complaints, customer service, dealing with difficult customers, difficult customers



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