For anyone who has worked face-to-face with customers, you know there are just some people out there who—to put it delicately—are difficult. They’re seemingly impossible to please, expecting near perfection from you and your products. Not only are these interactions stressful, but they can go wrong in a flash. To keep everything smooth, let’s take the time to handle this right.
Empathize
One of the key steps that we recommend in the customer experience is to understand what a customer wants, or at least where they are coming from. At the end of the day, tough customers—whether they’re angry or simply demanding—have the innate human desire to be understood, to be empathized with. That means listening without interrupting, making sure that even if you don’t agree with them, you at least get where they’re coming from. Just being heard is often cathartic enough to defuse most frustration.
Question
Ask questions to uncover what their needs actually are. You’ll often discover that many problems stem from simple misunderstandings or improperly managed expectations. You don’t need to correct the customer per se, at least not so directly as to embarrass or anger them. As Shep Hyken says in an article on this very subject, “This isn’t about who is right or who is wrong. This is about getting the customer to say, ‘Thanks for taking great care of me.’ You’re not going to get there if you’re accusing the customer of being wrong. Remember one of my favorite sayings: The customer is not always right! But when they are wrong, let them be wrong with dignity and respect.”
Take Ownership
When a problem comes your way, don’t pass the responsibility or the blame. Try to find positive ways to meet the customer’s expectations or settle their concerns. You represent your whole company. That means taking point on a customer’s problem, even when it’s not in your job description. That doesn’t mean you act with authority you don’t have: if there’s something you cannot do, take the responsibility to find the person who can, advocating for the customer so he or she doesn’t have to keep explaining themselves to each person they talk to. You’re now their point of contact and their interface with the rest of the company.
If nothing else, try to remember to never take a situation personally. Don’t let a difficult interaction eat at you, affecting not only the rest of your workday but your time at home as well. That’s good for no one. But if you are able to smooth a situation over, to satisfy a difficult-to-please person, not only will you help build upon you and your company’s reputation, but also be that much better equipped to handle the next challenge. Adversity builds character, and in a world of unending challenges, you’ll get more opportunities even when you make mistakes. You will get better.
To further your growth, either as an employee or a manager, consider reaching out to The Brandt Group. In addition to our world-class mystery-shopping services, we also offer training and leadership seminars that focus directly on how to best navigate all of your interpersonal interactions. Knowledge, they say, is power, and your combined experience and training will prepare you to meet whatever challenges await you next. Let’s get started today!
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