Dealing With Difficult Customers

DEALING WITH
DIFFICULT
CUSTOMERS
We get it: not every customer is going to be a delight to deal with. Maybe a
transaction started which was way out of line with their expectations; they might
feel like you’ve done wrong by them; or they could just be giving up coffee and
going through withdrawals. In any case, the most important factor in dealing
with difficult customers is to realise:
It’s never about you. It’s always about

resolving the situation.
In this guide for dealing with difficult customers, the very talented and attractive
team at Canity have put together some simple tips that everyone working in
customer service, retail or hospitality should use.
?
Thought Starters
Sundis net aditatur asperferunt, qui omniae nulpa poritat essimus, com-
nient eosanim eos verro quatem.fdafffdsafda
DEALING WITH
DIFFICULT
CUSTOMERS
When you let an angry customer vent their feelings, here’s the essential part:
give them your full attention. For one, you’ll deplete their energy like some sort
of jiu-jitsu master. Ideally they need to vent all their anger in one burst, after
which you can focus on the solution.
The main thing is: if you want to raise an issue, leave it until they’ve finished. We
recommend making notes as they speak. When they have finished speaking,
leave a second or two of silence and make your initial response an empathetic
one. Let them know:
I’d be upset too, if that had happened

to me.
Allowing them to get it all out of their system reinforces the fact you have
listened intently and almost certainly will have a full understanding of their
complaint. Of course you should never have to put up with foul language; more
on how to deal with this here.
DEALING WITH
DIFFICULT
CUSTOMERS
An angry or difficult customer on your premises can unsettle other customers.

If you’re faced with a customer making a scene within sight or earshot of others,
politely move them to another area, saying something like the following:
“John, this sounds serious; let’s go in to my

office where we can discuss this in detail.”
Many angry customers thrive on the theatre of others watching, so removing
the audience will work in your favour; it will give your customer a chance to calm
themselves and you will also be less distracted. If possible, offer them a drink – it
may buy you an extra minute to compose your thoughts while your customer
might well lose some of their aggression. The sooner you can isolate them, the
faster you can resolve the issue.
? What location would you move a customer to if they were complaining in a

loud or rude way?
DEALING WITH
DIFFICULT
CUSTOMERS
An angry customer on social media has the potential to do great harm to a

business. If you discover that an unhappy client is posting to your social media
accounts, it’s important to acknowledge them quickly and act quickly to resolve
the situation. You may also want to offer to take the conversation out of the
public domain.
Don’t let a bad review or feedback get you

down. It’s an opportunity to turn your angry
client into an advocate.
After you’ve solved the problem, reply to the initial social media post with a
polite response indicating you were glad you could help, to let others who’ve
seen the post know it has been resolved.
DEALING WITH
DIFFICULT
CUSTOMERS
No matter what your role is within your organisation, an apology will almost
certainly be within your capacity. A well delivered, sincere apology will always
go some way towards appeasing an upset customer. The way you phrase your
apology will determine how successful it is.
These suck: Better:

“I’m sorry you feel that way.” “John, please accept my apologies for
“I’m very sorry about that.” the error. Will you give me a chance to
“Sorry!” sort this out for you?”
The idea is to involve the customer; phrase your apology to give the customer
the power to forgive you and so that it requires them to respond. It will help to
calm the customer and allow them to feel like they have a level of control. If they
accept this request, you can move on to a solution. If they don’t, you will need
to patiently continue to let them vent their anger until they are calmer. Here’s
another example of a terrible apology:
DEALING WITH
DIFFICULT
CUSTOMERS
Handling difficult customers can be stressful, particularly for new or junior staff.
After you’ve finished with a particularly difficult customer, and they have left your
workplace or hung up, it might be wise to take a quick time-out.
Perhaps go for a short walk, splash some water on your face or have a chat to
a fellow team member about the situation. It’s likely that your co-workers have
had to handle similar situations and can empathise with you. It’s important to
remember that the difficult customer wasn’t angry with you personally, they
were just upset by the situation.
If you keep this thought in the front of your mind it will help you control your
own reactions to the encounter. On the flipside, if you overhear a teammate in a
difficult situation, be sure to congratulate them afterwards on their handling of it
and offer them some supportive words.
DEALING WITH
DIFFICULT
CUSTOMERS
Your focus when dealing with a difficult customer is to resolve their issue and
ensure their return patronage.
Now, you may not have made the error, your organisation may not even be at
fault, but if you’re handling the complaint you need to focus on the customer’s
desired outcome. Even if the customer wants to keep talking about the problem,
don’t let them, refocus them on the solution.
“You’re either part of the solution or you’re

part of the problem.” - Eldridge Cleaver
Focus on the solution, knowing that if you can solve the problem, you stand a
chance of getting them back as a repeat customer.
DEALING WITH
DIFFICULT
CUSTOMERS
If you don’t know what they want, you can’t give it to them, right? Often difficult
customers haven’t clearly outlined their expectations, and because they aren’t
getting what they want, they become frustrated.
This also applies to customers who think that using their anger, like the Hulk,
will get them what they want. Rather than guess what will appease your difficult
customer, come straight out and ask them. Try something like this:
“What would you like me to do to rectify this

matter?”
This is a better alternative to throwing up solutions hoping one sticks, and it
gives you a starting point for any negotiations.
DEALING WITH
DIFFICULT
CUSTOMERS
From time to time, you’re going to come across a customer you simply cannot
please. They might be totally irrational or highly demanding, and probably a
drain on your- and your colleagues’ time. In those instances you may need to
turn them away. Give them the phone number of a competitor, perhaps one
you’re not that fond of.
“It’s clear we’ve not been able to help you, but

if you call that number they may well be able
to. We certainly appreciate you giving us a
chance, I trust things work out better with…”
Not only will you have rid yourself of a nightmare customer, they will now erode
that competitor’s valuable time and resources.
DEALING WITH
DIFFICULT
CUSTOMERS
No one should have to put up with foul language or abuse from a customer. If
you find yourself in this situation, you’re totally within your rights to interrupt.
“John, while I am more than happy to help you,

I cannot do so if you continue to swear. Is that
understood?”
The last part is important. You need them to confirm that they understand. If
the caller’s behaviour does not change, you should be very clear about what will
happen if they continue.
Swearing really isn’t helping resolve the situation. You’re not being paid to be a
verbal punching bag; putting your foot down is the only way to keep your dignity
and prevent customers from embarrassing themselves further. Just make sure
you’ve put it in the nicest possible way. If this doesn’t work, you could simply
state: “John, you’ve left me no alternative but to terminate this conversation,”
and walk away, or if you’re on the phone, hang up.

Dealing With Difficult Customers

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Dealing With Difficult Customers

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Dealing With Difficult Customers

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

What are some tips for dealing with an angry customer?

How should you handle an angry customer on social media?

DEALING WITH

It’s never about you. It’s always about

I’d be upset too, if that had happened

An angry or difficult customer on your premises can unsettle other customers.

“John, this sounds serious; let’s go in to my

? What location would you move a customer to if they were complaining in a

An angry customer on social media has the potential to do great harm to a

Don’t let a bad review or feedback get you

These suck: Better:

“You’re either part of the solution or you’re

“What would you like me to do to rectify this

“It’s clear we’ve not been able to help you, but

“John, while I am more than happy to help you,

You might also like