How to Deal With Difficult Customers
And come out on top!
The customer is always right, right? Sales experts know that there’s a grey area when it comes to fielding concerns from challenging customers.
Sometimes customers don’t have the full context, are having a bad day, or need to be saved from themselves. Other customer calls can be challenging if the client is demanding and you’re in a competitive market, or there was an error on the side of your company.
If you’ve worked in sales or as a customer success specialist, you’ve seen and heard it all. That doesn’t make it easy to deal with a difficult customer, especially in the moment. Here are some valuable tips for successfully managing a difficult customer:
Assess their emotional investment
Quickly understanding what a customer is feeling helps you pivot the conversation back into your control and into a productive place. Appropriately judging a client’s level of frustration and what’s motivating the frustration mitigates the risk of exacerbating the situation.
Remember that emotions are natural and that the feelings aren’t personal to you. Take time to understand where the customer is coming from and get as much clarity as possible.
Be specific
Broad placidities simply fall flat on people that are disgruntled. It’s not your fault if they don’t trust in your sincerity, but being specific in addressing customer questions and concerns will let them know that you are listening and invested in their perspective and needs.
Own mistakes
There’s no need to dance around taking accountability (when appropriate), especially if a customer is already upset. It doesn’t have to be a permanent indictment of your company, as misunderstandings and mistakes happen. By owning mistakes upfront, it saves time and leaves more room in the conversation to focus on coming to an ideal resolution.
Focus on solutions
When someone’s frustrated, they often aren’t thinking as clearly and productively as they normally would. This can turn conversations into cyclical arguments. Show the customer good faith and defuse their feelings by breaking down the problem into manageable and sensible steps or actions.
Leaving customers with a move forward plan shows that you’re interested in retaining their business, and can be something the customer can take back to their team to reevaluate their concerns.
Know your boundaries
You have to maintain an abundance mindset as a sales professional. While you can’t make a practice of losing clients or leads, you also can’t allow one client to dominate your attention and resources, or degrade the culture of your workplace.
Utilize the tools at your disposal to mend the relationship. Bring in a colleague or manager, place the customer on a brief hold to bide your time, or offer a loyalty discount.
If things don’t work out, it’s not the end of the world. Keep your head up and start searching for the next account that’s an even greater fit for your company.