Dealing with an unsatisfied client can be a challenging and stressful situation for any customer service professional. However, if you follow some simple and effective steps, you can turn a negative experience into a positive one and retain your client's loyalty and trust. In this article, we will share with you how to handle an unsatisfied client in a customer service context.
The first step to handle an unsatisfied client is to listen actively to their complaint or feedback. This means that you should not interrupt them, argue with them, or make excuses. Instead, you should show empathy, acknowledge their feelings, and ask open-ended questions to understand their problem and expectations. Listening actively will help you to establish rapport, reduce tension, and show respect for your client.
There is a need for people to vent. Let them. Try to key in on the emotions they are expressing to understand what things with your product or service are causing them to feel that way. Everyone wants a friend on the inside that is going to take the pain away so listen like you would with your best friends.
The second step to handle an unsatisfied client is to apologize sincerely for their inconvenience or dissatisfaction. This does not mean that you have to admit fault or liability, but that you have to express regret and sympathy for their situation. A sincere apology will help you to demonstrate accountability, sincerity, and professionalism. You should also avoid using generic or scripted apologies, and instead personalize your response to your client's specific issue.
Mirroring the client's emotions is a good tactic as well. If they're angry about something, you should express your empathy. The need for emotional validation is strong and can be leveraged to help you with an angry or fearful client. Remember, they have given you some resources in exchange for a service/product. No one likes to feel like they've been taken advantage of. So don't lie, don't be overly sincere or mawkish--which will cause the client to lose more trust.
The third step to handle an unsatisfied client is to offer a solution that meets their needs and expectations. This means that you should not only address the root cause of their problem, but also provide them with some options or alternatives that they can choose from. Offering a solution will help you to show competence, flexibility, and value. You should also explain the benefits and drawbacks of each option, and ask for their feedback or approval.
The fourth step to handle an unsatisfied client is to follow up promptly on your promised solution. This means that you should not delay or forget to deliver your solution, but rather communicate clearly and regularly with your client until their issue is resolved. Following up promptly will help you to build trust, reliability, and satisfaction. You should also thank your client for their patience and cooperation, and ask for their feedback or testimonial.
The fifth step to handle an unsatisfied client is to learn and improve from their feedback or complaint. This means that you should not ignore or dismiss their input, but rather use it as an opportunity to identify and correct any gaps or weaknesses in your customer service process or skills. Learning and improving will help you to prevent future problems, enhance your performance, and increase your client retention and loyalty.
Recording and transcribing are important in customer service to enable learning. Labeling the more precise/correct data points, like "anger" instead of "mixed" is important too. Using an Emotion Recognition System (ERS) like VERN AI enables you to analyze each sentence in real time as conversations unfold. This allows you to chart successes and failures; and provide data to learn for both human and machine.
The sixth and final step to handle an unsatisfied client is to reward and appreciate them for their continued business and support. This means that you should not take them for granted or neglect them, but rather surprise and delight them with some gestures of gratitude or incentives. Rewarding and appreciating will help you to strengthen your relationship, increase your referrals, and generate more revenue. You should also invite them to join your loyalty program, newsletter, or social media channels.
I believe that all of the above solutions are completely valid. As a matter of perspective, it is important to remember that there will be at least one customer that you cannot satisfy, no matter the method used. This is still a learning opportunity, and all possible solutions should be tried. If an impasse occurs, try everything within your wheelhouse, and be willing to accept that some customers cannot be “flipped “. It’s an exercise in humility, but if you’ve done everything in your power to correct it, you can at least get that from it.
Sometime the only alternative action is to "FIRE" them. We've had one or two over the years that were impossible to satisfy and demanding/entitled beyond what is reasonable or expected.