Whether you’re an employee or the business owner, dealing with difficult customers can get tense. Even if the problem is your responsibility, perhaps as the result of a treatment or service gone wrong, there is also the possibility that the customer is being deliberately standoffish in order to claim compensation. This has led to a number of companies having to take a stand against serial complainers.
Regardless of whether or not the customer actually is right, being able to effectively communicate and deal with complaints is an integral part of any public-facing job. If you’re just starting your business, or simply taking another look at your own company’s processes, it’s always worth reminding yourself and your staff of how to deal with a difficult customer.
Hold regular training for new and existing employees
More often than not, a difficult customer’s first port of call will be your employees, rather than you, and they may well take out their initial frustrations on your staff. It’s important that your team knows how to compose themselves in these instances, so regular training sessions can equip your staff with the skills they need to cope with difficult customers. As Salon Gold notes, salon owners especially are likely to deal with tricky clients from time to time, but it’s important not to lose your temper, which could risk tarnishing your businesses reputation.
It’s also a good idea to get the name of the client at the start of your conversation, as this allows you to have a more direct conversation and, hopefully, build a rapport with them, regardless of how they feel about the services they’ve received. If they are in a particularly disgruntled state, this personal approach can help diffuse the situation, helping you reach a settlement sooner rather than later.
Have a dedicated customer service team
As your business grows, so will your need for having separate departments to deal with the various areas of the company. Customer service should be one of the first teams to be established in any business, as improving customer satisfaction increases a sense of loyalty and can grow your customer base through word of mouth marketing. Having one team to deal with all client queries — complaints or otherwise — also means that the disgruntled customer deals with one person who is completely trained in handling any difficult situations that may have escalated. This can improve the chances of creating a more positive experience for customers, and hopefully lead to them giving your business another chance.
However, this doesn’t mean that you can forgo training for all members of your team. Everyone who is customer-facing will need to have the right skills in order to deal with clients, regardless of their behaviour. It just helps to have a fully-trained team to step in if the situation calls for it.
Stay transparent and clear with your client
If you promised to call a customer back by a certain time, make sure you do it. Even if you haven’t managed to reach a final decision or are unable to give a firm update, it’s still important to let them know they’ve not been forgotten about. Staying transparent and truthful with them won’t go unnoticed, and may help to diffuse any anger and frustration. Ensure that the customer knows what they may expect throughout the process, and give them the opportunity to have their say in order to come to an agreement.
You may even choose to record phone calls with the customer. This isn’t a criminal offence in the UK, as long as you follow the correct guidelines as laid out in the current legislation. These recordings can be used for you to keep your own record of the interactions, as well as for future research and training purposes.
