Difficult Customers

Elements of Business Skills

 

PROCEDURES FOR HANDLING DIFFICULT CUSTOMERS 

1.         What procedures should be taken to handle difficult customers? 

Step 1 – Let the customer express his or her feelings

Step 2 – Negative filter name calling

Step 3 – Express empathy towards the customer

Step 4 – Activate active problem solving

Step 5 – Come to a mutual agreement to solve the problem

Step 6 – To do a follow-up

2.         What do all these steps mean to you?           

Step 1 is where you let the customer pour out his feelings and they would express that they want the item to be solved quickly.  At this stage when the customer is venting his or her frustration, it is likely that you will not be able to hear what they are saying.  It is after they had vented their frustration then you can listen out the problem.   

At this stage the sales person should be quiet, listen and do not take it personally 

Step 2 is you remain cool as a cucumber.  During the period of venting as you cannot listen to what the venting is all about, just create a nickname for the customer BUT keep it within yourself.  Remember that you being the sales person cannot shout back or show an unpleasant face or body gesture.  Just look at the customer.  Eventually the venting will come to a halt. 

Step 3 is where empathy is shown.  Empathy helps to calm the difficult customer.  Empathy means to appreciate and understand the difficult customer’s feelings, even if you do not agree with the customer’s feedback.  If you empathize with the

Customer, you will notice that you have begun to build a rapport with the customer.   

Step 4 is where you begin to think of a solution and act on it quickly.  You must attend to the problem promptly.  You need to gather as much information about the broken down product or the type of poor services and double-check the facts as quickly as you could so that you could provide the necessary attention to the customer.  

Step 5 is when you work out the solution together with the customer. The agreement in working to solve the problem must be mutual.   

Step 6 is when you follow-up.  After the solution has been carried out always give a call or pay a visit to the customers place to ensure that the solution has worked and that the customer is happy again with your product or services. 

3.         Reflection 

In groups of four, share your type of experiences that you or your family members  encountered either being the difficult customer or you had to manage a difficult customer yourself or have witness how other sales person manage a difficult customer before.