HANDLING A DIFFICULT CUSTOMER

A difficult customer is a person who has not been treated fairly due to poor service delivery. As a result of being disappoinmented the customer may feels short-changed or out-righty cheated out which may lead to complains or even threatens to take his business to a competitor. A business can win back a difficult customer by adopting the following process:

1. Letting the Customer Vent- When customers are upset they want to express their feelings and need the problem to be solved. This is not applicable for some service providers who regard customer’s venting as a waste of time because they want to move on and solve the problem. However, in trying to resolve a situation without first listening to the customers’ feelings will not help matters but by allowing your customer to vent his displeasure will makes him believe you are giving him a listening ear and solving the problem half way. Nothing heats up a customer with a problem faster than being told to calm down while they are venting. However, the best plan is to stay quiet and not make matters worse by interrupting the customer. Let the customer know that you are listening to him by:
• Nod your head frequently
• Say uhh-huh from time to time
• Maintain eye contact

2. Evading Negative Filters- The friction between a business and its customer is often worsened by how the business interpret the behaviors of the customer. Businesses that are found of tagging their difficult customers by names will dramatically changed how a customer is view, spoken, or listened to. If left unchecked, negative filters can get out of control and spread in an uncontrollable manner thus, creating a situation in which a positive communication with a customer will be extremely hard to managed. In handling a difficult customer there is need to switch to a service filter by asking a question like: “what does a customer need and how can it be provided ?” This question provides an alternative filter because as soon it was asked, a business focus changes. By changing a business attention, issue that needs to be addressed will be illuminated rather than a personal feelings about the customer’s behavior.

3. Expressing Empathy- Empathy works wonders in calming a difficult customer. By letting a customer knows that you understand why he is upset, you will build a bridge of rapport between you and them. In handling a difficult customer empathic phases should be used to convey and show the customer that his situation has been understood. The types of phrases that best express empathy towards a customer include statements like:
• I can see why you feel that way.
• I see what you mean.
• That must be very upsetting.
Some service providers feel uncomfortable to apologise to their customers because they see such as an admission of guilt. By saying “i am sorry” to a customer does not imply that you did anything wrong but it simply conveys that you are genuinely sorry that the customer had a bad experience. By using a warm and caring tone, you will enhance the meaning and effectiveness of empathy.

4. Active Problem Solving- Begin active problem solving by asking questions that Will clarify the cause of the customer’s problem. As you ask the customer questions, be sure to listen to everything he/she says and don’t jump to conclusions. Sometimes customers leave out critical information because they think it is unimportant or they just forget to mention it. Upset customers rarely present the fact of their story in a neat little package. In order to get a true picture of the customer’ situation, you may have to do a detective work to make sure that you understand everything the customer is telling you. Use the mirroring technique to summarize your understanding of what the customer says and then reflect it back to them. The customer then has the chance to verify or correct your understanding of the situation.

5. Mutually Agreeing on the Solution- After you gather all the facts, you need to work with your customer to come up with an acceptable resolution. If you haven’t discovered what will make him happy, ask. You may at this point find it necessary to take a brief time out from the customer so that you can do the behind the scenes work necessary to solve the problem. In this case, be sure that the customer knows exactly why you are asking him to wait and how long it will take for you to get back to him. Finally, when you both agree on how to resolve the problem explain the steps that you will take to implement the solution.

6. Follow Up- You can score big points on the service scoreboard by following up with your customers by a phone or an email to check that the solution works. If you contact the customer and discovered that he is not satisfied with the solution, continue to look for more workable solution.

Poor customer service is detrimental to any business. When customers do not feel valued, it makes it much easier for them to take their business elsewhere. Understanding the consequences of poor customer service is essential to delivering high-quality service.