Problematic customers can make your employees wish they could run for cover. While listening to cantankerous clients rambling on, it may appear that your business relationship is ruined forever.
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Take heart!
Here’s 6 ways for you to rebound from this quagmire and turn your loss into a win:
Treat the Issue as Your Own
A client who contacts your business through the contact center software with an issue wants the chance to be understood. Any attempt to calm them down on your part could end up building resentment instead of loyalty. Placating someone can backfire, and make them feel like just another problem for you to get off your plate for the day.
Let the customer finish explaining their complaint before addressing them. This makes them feel important and that someone is genuinely listening. When you put yourself in their shoes, empathy will go further with a client and may even lead to an easy resolution.
You can also thank your customer for bringing the issue to your attention – and, it’s certainly preferable to them blasting you with a bad online review. Since they have alerted you to the problem, most will hope you can find a resolution and prevent it from happening to others.
Take a Positive Path
Being on the receiving end of a customer attack can leave you angry and bristling, especially after a trying day at work. Instead of feeling defensive and coming back with a snippy response, try to take a more positive path. Don’t take it personal.
Venting is okay as it allows a customer to get something off their chest. It also allows them the opportunity to voice all their concerns and to be heard. Instead of jumping in with a resolution before they’ve finished their tirade, you want to give them time to conclude. Once the negative feelings have been released, you’re ready to guide them down a road to resolution.
Don’t Point Fingers
While the customer may not always be right, it is their perception that is of the utmost importance. In order to achieve long-term success in your business, you’ll have to learn how to manage client expectations.
Instead of passing blame, or making excuses for the blunder, you want to take immediate ownership and try to restore their faith. If what you’re about to say isn’t unifying, considerate, useful or trustworthy – you should probably refrain from saying it.
Conflict has its Purpose
Nobody wakes each morning anticipating conflict with enthusiasm. However, getting in tune with disruptions can help you achieve better results for your business. It can also help you form better relationships with your clients.
Avoiding a difficult situation won’t make it disappear. While you may obtain a temporary retreat from the issue, your unsatisfied customer will just get angrier when you put off the problem.
It’s been proven that when you become adept at resolving conflict, you create an even more devoted following from your clientele. This is especially important now that social media has made it easier for customers to voice their concerns. When you do it right, you’re sure to win their loyalty and trust.
Inspire Excellence in Business
The way you perceive your customers can also influence your response to their problems. While some people may have you wanting to pull your hair out, try to turn off those complaints with more resourceful thinking.
Use your good business skills to win over the complainers. In addition to gaining their respect, you’ll enjoy a calmer state of mind. When a customer tries to unnerve you at every turn, see this as an excellent opportunity to grow and enhance the way that you do business.
Sometimes though, you need to cut your losses and take the high road (even if it means losing one client). Consider how much time and energy is being devoted to that single person, and whether it is – in the end – only hurting your business. Just be sure to end the relationship with a good faith attempt to make them happy.
Prepare for Recovery
You’re not going to please everyone when you own the business. However, it’s how you meet the challenges of a less-than-satisfied customer that can win them over for life. You will better your chances at recovery by being prepared the next time around.
Many times customers will ask for much less than what you’re thinking you will have to deliver. Having someone care about their needs and willing to go beyond is much better than refunding their money without a thought to how they feel.
In order to gain their loyalty, you want to give them a chance to voice their displeasure. They want to ensure that you care and are willing to set things right. Once you have their attention, you’ll be able to find how you can make things right and bring them back on board.
Customer care today can be very taxing, with online reviews and automation taking the place of personalized services. However, in order to remain successful and increase your bottom line, you want to be sure that you rectify your mistakes to the satisfaction of your customers.
