How do you deal with Difficult Customers and are you doing it right?
Life is sometimes like a comic book, we all have our strengths and weaknesses. Some days we have great customers who make us appreciate what we do and then there are days when a challenge comes our way and we could do with a little kryptonite to level the playing field (all in good fun of course).
Don’t just settle for being Clark Kent when you can throw on your cape and deal with the situation like Superman.
How you deal with awkward customers makes the world of difference to the outcome of your day and theirs, so let us run you through some less than popular personalities and how to best handle them:
No one knows more than the ‘know it all hero’. In fact, this guy’s wealth of knowledge might actually save you a little time not having to do the job yourself. So just smile and nod while this dude tells you exactly how to do your job better than you ever could. Remaining positive is a sure fire way to tackle the situation.
Then you have the cheeky undercover information gatherer. He appears to be a customer, but beneath the surface he’s really a strategic ninja looking for information about the internal workings of your business. This is less frustrating and more ego boosting. You have something they don’t and they’re doing everything they can to find out your secrets! Be vague, eventually they’ll get the hint.
Then there’s the haggler who treats your business more like a flea market than an established organisation. They will see your set price as a starting point for negotiations. Be sure to stand your ground when the bidding gets too low.
Possibly the worst of them all, the loud and angry. He has the vocal cords of a newborn baby and is ready to scream and shout like one. This is the type of customer that rightfully deserves to sit in time out for 5 minutes but as the saying goes – kill them with kindness. Patience will eventually win the day.
A shift in attitude can be all that you need to triumph against these less-ordinary customer
personas. Read more in the light-hearted infographic below created by the team at The Website Group. Of course, we love all of our customers and even our Difficult Customers and so this post has been published all in good fun. Enjoy!
