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12 | The Lion King
The squeaky wheel gets the grease, right? Some people approach
conflict resolution with the goal of being as squeaky as humanly possible.
Here’s how to handle this type of tough customer:
10 Ways to Deal with a
Difficult Customer
Customer Service
By Josephine Anyanwu
DON’T FIGHT BACK.
A loud, rude, or unruly customer
may expect the same from you.
Don’t take the bait: you’re likely
to lose his business. Remember
that other customers and your
employees may be watching,
too. Handle the upset customer
with poise. Be de-escalatory.
EMPATHIZE, DON’T SYMPATHIZE.
Empathy means that you understand the
feelings of another person. Sympathy,
on the other hand, offers only comfort —
and is usually insufficient when someone
feels she has been wronged. Restating
the problem is one form of expressing
empathy. Others include “I understand,”
“I want to help,” and “I’m sorry.”
CALL BACK WHEN YOU SAY YOU WILL.
You took verbal abuse the first time.
The last thing you want to do is call
back and take it again. But you
need to deliver on your promises.
Remember that even if a follow-up
conversation is less than pleasant,
customers will respect you more
when you keep your word.
RESTATE THE PROBLEM.
In your own words, tell the
customer what you believe
has upset him/her. People who
are angry often ramble or add
unrelated issues to the complaint.
Before any fix is possible, you and
the customer must agree on the
nature of the problem.
ASK FOR THE SOLUTION.
Instead of offering a fix of your
design, ask the customer what
would make them happy. This lets
him/her know that you are serious
about righting the wrong.
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DON’T HIDE BEHIND THE RULES.
When customers are upset, the last
thing they want to hear is that their so-
lutions are against “company policy.”
You can uphold the spirit of most rules
and still offer some flexibility. If a given
customer is worth saving — and most
are — do not be afraid to make a
small exception to defuse a situation.
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