« On the Hunt for a Home Office Companion… | Main | 3 Pre-Interview Strategies for Hiring A-Players »
How to handle ‘Difficult Customers’
By Mildred Munjanganja | July 7, 2009
Customer Service
I recently added a phone line to my T-mobile account. A gentleman named Tyson helped me through the entire process and not once did he ever say no to any of my outrageous demands. I told him I wanted a new line that came with a free phone and any other perks he could come up with – he dug deep into his system and found anything and everything he could to keep me happy, then told me as gently as possible when it was just not possible. I was clearly a little demanding and taking full advantage of the fact that I was a loyal customer for over 7 years – I felt a sense of entitlement and frankly T-mobile is the only place I can call and get treated as if I own an American Express black card. Most places you do business with today leave you wondering why you are spending your hard earned cash on their business when you can go elsewhere.
Dealing with irate customers is part of doing business. Consumers can be a little demanding at times but we always have to remember the person on the other end of the line is just another human being asking to be treated fairly.
Here’s how to deal with what you may call ‘difficult customers’:
- Always be honest with your customers. At times their demands may be a little overboard – but if you tell a customer something that they believe to be untrue – you reputation is ruined forever. Don’t tell the customer ‘we attempted to deliver your package 3 times” when UPS tracking clearly indicates that you only shipped the package out the day before. If you simply dropped the ball – apologize and tell the customer the real story, you’ll be surprised how understanding they can be.
- Stay on top of things and be informative. Things have not gone as you intended to, none of which was within your control – you have done everything in your power to fix the problem, but somehow things continue to fall to pieces. Inform the customer of changes as they occur – if you thought something was in stock and then it turns out it isn’t, let the customer know – don’t waste their time or make them do the run-around.
- Be genuine. If you give your reps scripts that they have to follow and read whenever they speak to a customer depending on the situation – it may make the rep sound insincere. Train your reps to be courteous, genuine and caring – customers will immediately know the difference.
- Listen and ask questions. Irate customers are people that simply want to be heard. Let them vent and ask them how you can best resolve their situation considering the circumstances – they may be able to help you come up with an acceptable alternative if their initial needs cannot be met.
ShareTopics: Business - Office |