The right way to deal with difficult customers
by Christine Corelli
According to Confucius, if you are sincere, true to your word, and careful in your actions, you will get along with anyone –well, almost anyone, that is. While what "Confucius says" may be right for your personal life, your interactions with customers on job sites or plant floors are a bit more complicated. Like it or not, at some point, you have to deal with a difficult or upset customer. The trick is to know how to do it the right way.
Most factory and construction pros know that difficult customers “come with the territory.” When dealing in expensive, stressful transactions, even the most mild-mannered customer may get upset on occasion. What is important for your peace of mind and business success is learning how to deal with these encounters and mitigating the negativity that may result.
Whether you are dealing face-to-face or on the phone, these situations are more than mere challenges. If you can’t handle them professionally, resolve the problem, and turn them into a successful situation, your unhappy customers will switch over to your competitor. Inevitably, they will reveal that they were not satisfied with your service. Believe me; bad news in business really does travel fast. The result will be an assault on your reputation – something no company can afford.
Whether your job is sales or service related, you need to know how to handle difficult or irate customers with the utmost professionalism. That requires shifting into the right mindset and communicating with them in a confident, competent and non-combative manner. As a start to the process, just follow these important guidelines to help you through a tough encounter:
Step 1: Maintain your cool
First and foremost, you need to prepare yourself for what is to come. There will be angry words, personal affronts, and highly charged emotions. This is the kind of situation where it is easy to lose your cool and become defensive when you are confronted by someone who is angry – especially if you think they are being unreasonable.
Your mounting stress can lead to increased anger, which will only make your customer more upset. By learning to put some distance between you and the situation, you can control your emotions. This is what I call the “Be Cool” mindset; it is the best protection you have from the angry person confronting you.
Let’s assume you are a service manager and you receive a call from an irate customer who is trying to deal with an equipment problem. The customer is very challenging, but you remind yourself that he/she is not as technically proficient as you are. Therefore, you can be more sympathetic to his or her problem. Assume the “Be Cool” attitude. Be patient, stay calm, and reassure them that you can solve the problem (even if your service department is swamped!).
Do not sound impatient or say anything to make it worse. Now is not the time to remind them that they shouldn't have touched anything and that you had given them the proper maintenance procedure when you delivered the machine. Instead, be cool and start a positive approach. Begin by asking a few questions and talking the customer through the problem – step by step. Reassure him/her along the way. If you can’t talk it through, get a technician on the phone and arrange a follow up as quickly as possible.
2. Admit you are wrong
Now that you have a “Be Cool” attitude and have started to work through the problem, take responsibility immediately if you or your company made the mistake. Even if there is some doubt, take the blame anyway. It diffuses the situation very quickly and will put your customer at ease.
This is hard to do since, ultimately, there is a financial responsibility in all of this. Nevertheless, you still need to own up to the situation. Hopefully, if you handle everything quickly, the financial burden will be light. At the very least, you will have saved a customer and that will mean sales in the future. Everyone can make a mistake – don’t make another one by turning off your customer.
3. Know what the customer wants
Generally, an angry person just wants to vent his or her anger. Usually that means taking the anger out on someone else – in this case, you. You will get the brunt of it – even if you are not to blame. Often, they take it out on you even when the technicians did not respond fast enough or the new equipment purchase was not delivered as promised.
It is always best to let them have their say before you respond. Let them blow off steam. They can vent and calm down. Once that happens, they usually just want reassurance that:
- You are concerned with their problem.
- They will be taken seriously.
- You are capable of handling the situation.
- They will be given your undivided attention.
- They will be treated with respect.
- They can expect a fast response.
- They will know you are on their side.
- They are important to you.
- Your words communicate compassion and empathy.
- You will honor your warranty.
4. Do not judge or correct
Never judge or correct a customer. If they are angry with you, refrain from making any statements that are judgmental or will make the customer defensive. Now is not the time to say, “Why didn’t you make sure you maintained the excavator properly?” Now is the time for action; now you must solve the problem.
Apologize, empathize, and help them in every way possible. If you can solve the problem and send them out the door as a happy customer, then you have handled the situation well. In fact, studies show that deftly handling tough situations and solving problems with professionalism actually yields the opportunity to build stronger business relationships.
5. Apply verbal cushions
When a customer is angry, you can diffuse the situation by applying "verbal cushions," a communication technique taught by customer service trainers. These words and phrases “cushion” a customer's complaint and will help you to service them more effectively. The verbal cushions below communicate a sense of concern, promote cooperation, and display empathy. Memorize them so that you can apply them in challenging situations.
"I apologize this occurred, John."
"I can understand why you are upset.”
"I'm very sorry this has happened to you."
"I apologize if there's been a misunderstanding."
"I can understand why you would be unhappy."
"I understand your position."
"Thank you for bringing this to my attention."
"I agree with you completely. This is crucial to the job you're doing."
“I recognize the urgency involved. Let me take care of this immediately.”
“I want you to walk off here as a happy customer.”
6. Calm out-of-control customers
When dealing with customers who use foul language and just won't back down, you need to steel yourself against the onslaught and stay calm. This won’t be easy. Your first reaction will be to yell back at them, become defensive, and continue to support your own position – right or wrong. Now, more than ever, you need to use verbal cushions such as:
"Sir, I haven't said or done anything to disrespect you in any way.”
“Let me resolve this for you and make sure we take good care of you.”
“Let us try to work this out in the most professional and productive way.”
7. Be proactive in problem prevention
The best way to offset a situation with difficult customers is be proactive in avoiding mistakes. Make sure your organization has the appropriate, timely systems and procedures in place to avoid problems that can cause customers to become difficult. Consider taking the following leadership actions to ensure that you are ready for any situation:
Make the creation of a “Sales-Service Excellence” culture a major strategic initiative in your company.
Communicate service excellence continuously and make sure your people take it seriously.
Provide training to employees on the soft side of customer service and write specifics on how they should think and act as brand ambassadors who will represent your company in a positive way.
Create a written service policy with the highest standards for service excellence.
Enlist the support of high-performance teams to create guiding principles on how you will communicate, act, and operate that demonstrate the core values of honesty, integrity, caring, professionalism, and respect. These are some suggestions to put in place:
"If a customer calls with a problem, we will own the problem and make sure their problem is resolved.”
“Before we leave home each day, we will make sure all parts that were ordered have been shipped, and make sure back orders have been found.”
"If a customer needs a part and we don’t have it in our inventory, a team of three people will jump in and help the parts manager locate what they need."
"We will apologize immediately if customers have had to wait, or if they have a complaint."
"If our service technician will be more than 10 minutes late, he or she will call the customer to let them know."
"We will come forth with cutting-edge solutions to any service problems that may exist."
"We will bring complaints and problems to management's attention immediately."
"We will double check every order, shipment, and billing entry."
"If a shipment or order will be late, we will call the customer to keep them informed."
"We will always make sure a customer stays informed. We will provide progress updates at all times, and let them know we are working for them."
"If a customer is waiting for important information and we can't obtain it quickly, we will call them to let them know we are still waiting, and will advise them the moment the information comes through."
"We will always strive to give the customer more than he or she expects."
"We will follow up with customers to make sure they are taken care of and are happy with our work."
8. Take the leadership role
Work with your team or enlist the help of a professional to create guiding principles that are specific to your business. Print them out so everyone has them and consistently update them.
The following are additional leadership actions to take that will help you to avoid problems:
- Document complaints and talk about how they could have been avoided.
- Work to uncover and eliminate any service flaws.
- Instruct sales reps and service managers to under promise and over deliver.
- Strive to seek ways to make it easier for customers to do business with you.
- Train your employees in the philosophy and actions of teamwork.
- Commit to servicing your "internal customers" as well as your external customers.
- Record and distribute service excellence rules so they permeate your entire business.
- Hold monthly meetings to discuss service.
- Create a Problem Resolution Report for executives so they can stay informed and can pick up the phone and call customers to make sure they are happy.
9. When you can't help a customer
What do you do when you can't help a customer or do as they ask? Let them down gently using a verbal cushion that displays professionalism and demonstrates empathy. The following are examples of some valuable cushions that should help you face these difficult situations. As you review them, note that each example uses the customer's name. Addressing someone by name shows respect and enhances the importance of the relationship.
"I would like to be able to tell you I can do this for you, Bill. Unfortunately, I’m not able to.” Then, follow it with, "Here's what I CAN do for you," and tell them what action you will take.
"I don't blame you for being upset, Mr. Smith. I would feel the same if I were you."
"I'm sorry this happened to you, John. It's an inconvenience I know."
"I'm sorry you're still waiting, Mr. Jones. I just spoke with the service tech and he's on his way. Please understand that traffic is backed up due to the storm. I appreciate your patience."
"I apologize if there's been a misunderstanding. Mr. Smith, I'll talk with the salesperson immediately and get back to you as soon as I obtain answers for you.”
"I am sorry that you think you were overcharged, Joe. Let’s walk through the invoice. If there are any errors, we will make corrections immediately.”
"I understand your position, John. If I could do more for you, I would."
"Mr. Smith, I would like to be able to tell you I can do this without charging you for it. Unfortunately I can't. Here's what I can do for you..."
A final word on difficult customers.
When it comes to dealing with difficult customers, you can say and do everything right – even stand on your head to make them happy – and still not be able to diffuse the situation. A customer may slam the phone down on you or walk out swearing up a storm. Don't take it personally, don't carry it over to your next customer, or take it out on your coworkers.
Accept that in the distribution business, and in every business, difficult customers come with the territory. What is most important is that you have systems and procedures to prevent problems from occurring. Equally important, you must have the training and knowledge to help you and your customers get through these difficult and trying situations – the right way.