How to Handle a Difficult Customer

“The customer is always right.”
If you’ve spent any time in a customer-facing role, you have probably heard this adage more than a few times. Most employees and business managers would agree it’s often not that black and white – and this makes handling difficult clients one of the regular challenges faced by large and small operations alike.
Do you know how to handle difficult customers, here are some essential tips to help you effectively deal with those tricky clients and hopefully turn those challenging situations into opportunities, referrals and happy customers for your business.
Listen
Take the time to really listen to what your customer is telling you. Even if you think you already know what their problem is, give them the chance to explain it in their own words; you might gain extra insight into what the issue is so you can address their concerns more thoroughly, or you may discover their complaint isn’t exactly what you expected.
When you give the customer the chance to speak, you are showing your genuine interest and building rapport with them. This connection is a valuable asset as you work through the response process.
Businesses fail to actually hear what the customer is saying because more often than not listen to respond rather than listen to understand. This is based on predetermined responses that satisfy the businesses need to justify their position..
Show empathy
Put yourself in your customer’s shoes. Try to really understand how the issue has impacted their life, and demonstrate your understanding by echoing their concerns back to them in your own words. Verbally acknowledging and identifying with what they are saying (without speaking over them) can help calm the customer down and defuse a tense situation.
Stay calm
If the situation is escalating, try to lower the tone and volume of your voice. Reacting in a calm, controlled way can help calm your customer down, as well as helping you avoid saying things in the heat of the moment.
Don’t take it personally
It can be difficult to stay composed if your customer starts slinging insults or becomes increasingly hostile. Try not to take anything to heart – their comments are a reflection of the anger or frustration they are feeling, not an attack on your personal character.
Create an audience
When you’re dealing with a sensitive situation, it can be tricky to distance yourself emotionally from the interaction. If you find yourself getting too engaged and personally invested, and you’re at risk of responding in a way that may reflect poorly on your business, imagine you are surrounded by an audience of potential customers. This can give you a perspective shift and help you keep the broader picture in mind as you choose how to deal with the customer.
While this immediate audience is imaginary, the things you say will filter from your customer to anyone they share their experience with. Your audience may not be in the room with you, but they are still very real and very important.
Learn to read the situation
Don’t stand your ground purely out of principle, but don’t give in to the slightest bit of pressure either. Make sure you have effective policies and procedures in place to help you deal with conflict, while also leaving some leeway for your own judgement and intuition.
If it is going to take an exorbitant amount of time to help your customer with a ‘by-the-book’ approach, it may be more efficient to create a solution that works for them and lets you get on with your job. A happy, satisfied customer is often worth more in the long term than the goods or services you sacrifice to get them to that point.
Don’t get angry
Responding to an upset customer with anger or sarcasm will do nothing positive for the situation. If the person you are interacting with gets angry or verbally abusive, take a deep breath and proceed as though you didn’t hear them. Try to remind them you are there to help, and that you are their best chance of resolving the problem – this simple statement is often enough to bring the conversation back to a manageable level.
Remember they are human
Everyone has off days. Sometimes people have off weeks, or even months – you never know what is going on in the background of a person’s life. Is it right for them to let their circumstances influence how they treat others? Maybe not, but people can easily forget this when overwhelmed. Use this perspective to help you feel empathy and distance yourself from their frustration.
Follow through
If you promise to do something, be sure to deliver. Did you mention a follow-up call? Phone them back when you said you would, even if you don’t have the results they were expecting yet. When you keep your promises, you can slowly build (or rebuild) that customer’s trust – don’t throw that opportunity away.
Communicate the process
What do you need to do to make things right for your customer? Don’t keep secrets – share what you’ll be doing with them. They will appreciate your transparency and the effort you go to, and by taking the time to explain the process, you are building trust and rapport. Additionally, if something unexpected occurs when you are trying to remedy their situation, they will be in a much better position to understand what happened.
Learning how to handle difficult customers is something that takes time and experience. Don’t shy away from issues – be proactive and try to understand exactly what your customer wants from you. Even the most volatile customer interaction is a valuable opportunity to turn a challenge into a business success, so make sure you invest time and effort into customer relations skills so you can reap the rewards.

Source Link: https://www.predictablesuccess.com.au/news-blog/36-how-to-handle-a-difficult-customer

If I can assist any business with realigning their customer service process please call Mark on 0432 622 744