Customers can be very difficult to handle or please sometimes, or even almost all the time if you are a salesperson, business owner or customer care service provider.
I quite understand that we do not want to lose our customers, neither do we want to run into loss on the account of customer satisfaction.
Truly, customers can always be right, but does that mean all customers are easy to deal with?
I have had encounters with some difficult customers as a young business owner and some of these tips I will be sharing with you really helped me handle them.
However, there were some customers I could not satisfy and handle effectively which cost me some losses.
So, it can be a bit challenging to please difficult customers, especially if you have some targets to meet financially as a marketer, salesperson, manager and business owner.
Finding the right approach on how to deal with such customers, turn the situation into an opportunity to win the customer into your business and make it a both side win is the real deal.
If you are a customer care service provider, you would have encountered more of this because this is your major call or niche, so, 98 per cent of your clients expect a perfect delivery service; but we all know that this can be quite challenging and demanding most times.
In fact, some people go the extra mile in a bid to satisfy a customer so that you can improve your business. In order to help us overcome this hurdle in our place of income generation and various fields, I have put together these five intelligent ways on how to deal with such situations.
The Bat Listening Technique.
First and foremost, human beings are built over time to be listened to. Even as a child, you want someone to give you his or her attention, and at the very best level. The same goes for handling difficult customers.
The Bat Listening Technique comes from the exceptional hearing trait this animal is best known for. Bats depend on their hearing because of their terrible eyesight.
Most times when I find myself in this kind of situation, I switch to a customer-toddler listening mechanism, which requires extra attention, detailed explanation and all-round listening. And it helps.
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Avoid any form of argument at this initial stage, it could be you at fault or misinterpreting your client. So, you need to be calm enough to give a listening ear to your customers.
This listening technique helps to build a strong relationship between your brand and your customers.
The Capybara Bonding Technique.
No one likes pity, rather empathy. Treat your customers with respect and empathy. Learn to build a relationship with your customers by bonding with them.
Over years, some brands have successfully built a relationship with their customers and this makes it difficult for the latter to break their loyalty. This is called bonding.
A bond will make someone go the extra mile for your brand and market it through word of mouth (which is one of the best ways of marketing strategy).
The Capybara Bonding Technique emanates from the outstanding trait of this animal which is best known for its friendly nature and highly sociable personality.
Using this technique will aid your business growth, earn you more trust from your customers and as well create that image you need for your brand.
The Rabbit Calm Technique.
You don’t want a trader or service provider to raise his or her voice at you as a customer at a grocery store. Likewise, your customer as a service provider or business owner.
Never raise your voice at your client even when he or she is at the top of his or her voice. Learn to remain calm and lower your voice if you are angry at this stage or you feel the need to respond.
Learn to approach the situation with calmness and do not allow your emotions to take the most of you in the middle of the conversation.
The Rabbit Calm Technique stems from the special trait of calmness identified with this animal. Most magicians use this technique because they know that rabbits will stay calm and quiet during the magic exhibition.
The Chameleon Transparency Technique.
Transparency is one of the values expected in a business, however, this needs to be done with wisdom if you are a startup business owner or sales representative of a growing company.
But you can apply The Chameleon Transparency Technique to deal with a difficult customer or situation.
This technique allows you to be flexible and dynamic in your dealing with difficult customers and human beings generally.
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The Chameleon Transparency Technique will help you to be able to quickly adapt to a difficult situation, switch techniques mentioned above and manage the problem.
In other words, learn to be flexible in your approach of customer interaction, especially a difficult one. This would help to attract different customers to your brand and encourage them to stay.
The Dog Loyalty Technique.
I have a German Shepherd Dog Specie – Maxy. Over time, I observed the loyalty of my dog to me at all times and this attribute endears me more to loving him.
No customer likes or appreciates a brand that is not faithful to its cause. When you make a promise of getting in touch with a particular customer, you need to keep to it and ensure you do all to fulfil your promise.
Some brands are faithful to their customers at the initial stage of their market entry, but change when they have become visible and gained entry into the marketplace.
The act can break the trust your customers have for your brand.
The Dog Loyalty Technique originates from the faithful and loyalty nature of dogs to their owners, whereby they do everything to protect they can to ensure the comfort and safety of their owners.
Learn to protect the image of your brand by demonstrating loyalty to your customer. When you do this, the rate at which a difficult customer would yell at unsatisfied service would be minimal.
As a business owner, salesperson or customer care service provider, all these techniques would help you to grow in your career ladder, business or even as a brand.
There is no difficult customer that cannot be handled if you will apply these different techniques.
Have a customer-difficulty free week!
