Being able to adequately serve customers is central to building a good relationship with them. But, sometimes, you come across people who seem too hard to deal with. Let’s take a look at the different types of difficult customers that you will encounter and how you can effectively bring them to your fold.
Difficult Customer No. 1: The Bully
This is one of the most common types of difficult customers you will encounter. These customers are often aggressive and would want you to address their needs first. They will also try to intimidate you and even other customers to cave in to their demands.
One sign that you are dealing with a bully customer is that they tend to speak loudly from the get-go. They might also be prone to berating the staff if their demands are not met. On the other hand, they can be quite stubborn if you try to explain the situation. Often, they would just go on venting and not listen to you.
How to Deal with Bullies
The first thing that you want to do when encountering a bully customer is to stay calm. Being aggressive yourself can only exacerbate the situation and make them even more irate. Let them vent out for a few minutes before continuing.
Once you have their attention, calmly apologize for the situation and tell them that you are here to help. Maintain eye contact with them at all times, as this will show that you are not going to be easily intimidated. When they see that firm attitude, bully customers are more likely to back down.
To better deliver the solution they want, you need to convey a sense of urgency towards them. Ask them specific questions about their problem. When you have the answers, walk them through the various solutions that you have. When they find something agreeable, assure the customer that you will have it done as soon as possible.
Difficult Customer No. 2: The Impatient one
Customers naturally don’t like to wait for so long to be served. But this type of difficult customer has an even shorter fuse when it comes to waiting. They will often start nagging you to move faster even if they are just five minutes into the line.
A common sign that you have an impatient customer in front of you is if they will often remind you aloud that they have a schedule to follow. These customers would also insist that they can do what you are doing much faster. All of these to prod you into putting their issues first.
How to Deal with Them
As is with any other customer, be ready to explain to them why the service is taking longer than expected. Here, you would want to be careful with your tone and choice of words. You don’t want to sound irritated over their actions. Assure them that you understand their frustrations and are resolving the issues as fast as you can.
Another effective way to handle impatient customers is to direct them to your company’s self-help portal. This will help them get their answers faster if they don’t want to bother with the waiting time. Note that you would still want to assist them as they navigate through the portal to ensure that they would get the answer they want.
At some point, you might have to transfer the customer to another agent who is not busy at the moment. Ensure that the handover is done as quickly as possible. The receiving agent should also already be aware of the customer’s case and the solution to be done. Be sure to explain to the customer why you need to switch them over to another agent and how this will resolve their issue faster.
Difficult Customer No. 3: The know-it-all
The know-it-all will often present themselves as being more knowledgeable about your job. They would be critical of the solutions you are recommending. These customers can also be antagonistic when you point out that they are doing something wrong whem using your products or services. They would insist that they are the ones that will decide how to use your product on themselves.
You will also notice that these customers tend to talk on and on and would try to dominate the conversation. They may even go on comparing your products against competitors. This can be a tactic to get your products at a cheaper price. The attitude makes it harder to deal with them than other difficult customers.
How to Appease Them
One thing that you need to understand with the know-it-all is that they are often seeking validation. As such, you need to know how to massage their ego. Acknowledge their knowledge of your service and compliment the choices they have made. Be sincere in this regard to put them at ease.
From there, you can start giving them additional options. Talk about how these would be better choices than the ones they want, emphasizing the positives of both. In case you need to correct them on certain things, be ready to back your explanation with facts and additional information. When they show a desire to know more, be ready to assist them.
If all else fails and the customer still insists on what they are doing, it would be time to let them be. Calmly explain to them that you and the company would not be liable for what might happen to them. You can also get a higher-up to intervene and assure the customer afterward.
Difficult Customer No. 4: The Confused Customer
This one is the opposite of the know-it-all in that they don’t know exactly what they want. They would go around checking a product only to back out from buying it at the last minute and switch to another. They might also be pessimistic about whether the particular product is right for them.
One thing that you will notice with this type of customer is they will often go back to you several times, asking guidance for the products they are looking at. But they might still end up not convinced enough to purchase. This can make assisting them rather challenging since you don’t know what they want either.
How to Deal with Them
Handling confused customers requires a lot of patience. You have to carefully explain the merits of each product that they look into, providing as much information as you can. You also need to provide an honest opinion about the options to help them better decide.
Another useful strategy here is providing them with customer anecdotes. Talk about other customers who were in similar situations and what they end up choosing. Explain how the choice made that particular customer happy. You then relate everything to the current customer\’s situation and highlight how they will fare with it.
Difficult Customer No. 5: Demanding Customer
This type of customer knows exactly what they want and that they want it right away. The problem lies in the fact that what they want is something that you might not be able to provide. For instance, they might be asking for a product discount that you are not offering at the moment.
The situation becomes harder to resolve if you are dealing with a regular customer. That sense of entitlement from being loyal can make them think that they can get away with such requests. They might even threaten to go to another store if you don’t give in to their demands.
How to deal with them
The best way you can go here is to come up with a compromise. Look up all the possible options that would meet most of their demands. Explain to them how each option would be better than the one that they want. Once they settle down for one compromise, be diligent in assisting them through the purchase.
You would also want to convey to them that you are already going the extra mile to meet their demands. This move lessens the chance that they would demand more from you. Also, emphasize that you are here to help them through.
Know How to Turn Difficult Customers Around
Dealing with difficult customers will also be a part of doing business. But you can turn these people around using the strategies outlined above. By ensuring that you can deliver the best customer experience, these people can become more loyal to your brand and help boost your business.