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It’s always challenging dealing with a difficult customer. You need to be willing to listen to their point of view without giving in to their every demand. The following top tips will help you improve your chances of a successful outcome when faced with a confrontational customer.
Establish the Facts
When a customer isn't fully satisfied with some aspect of your product or service and is looking to you to rectify the situation, you first need to establish exactly what the problem is. If the customer is frustrated, explain that you'll see what you can do to help. But this will be easier if they keep calm and give you some specific details.
If the issue is serious and/or clearly your department or organization’s fault – e.g. a defective product or a failure to meet specified terms on a service contract – then apologize to the customer and assure them that the matter will be dealt with as quickly as possible. You may wish to refer the issue to a senior colleague at this stage.
In some cases, however, the situation or solution may need to be clarified. In which case, you need to be prepared to negotiate with the customer.
Decide on Your Bottom Line
It will quickly become apparent from the conversation if the customer expects you to offer some concession as part of the solution. The first step in any negotiation is always to establish the minimum you're prepared to accept. This is known as your "walkaway" and, in business, often encompasses a mixture of prices, terms and deliverables.
If you know a dissatisfied customer is due to call or is coming in, then it's a good idea to spend five minutes beforehand jotting down your thoughts about what you're willing to move on and what you can’t.
Tackle the Easier Issues First
If there are several on the table for discussion, never start with the most difficult. Although it might seem like a sensible approach to get the nasty, troublesome points over and done with, there are good reasons for avoiding this.
First, beginning with the smaller, easier issues will help build momentum and make the customer feel like the negotiation is achieving something. Second, discussing easier issues may also make clear some aspects of the relationship that the customer is happy with. This will increase the variables in the deal and give you more room for maneuver.
Maintain Your High Expectations
When negotiating with dissatisfied customers, aiming for the best possible outcome is important. If the customer is eager for a concession, start with something you can afford to lose. Try not to be intimidated by a customer who wants to wrangle over every point.
Remember that you and the customer will probably place different values on different concessions. Use careful questioning, and listen intently to try to find out those concessions to which the customer attaches a high value, but you attach a relatively low value.
Be Flexible During the Negotiation
Never enter into negotiations with a "take it or leave it" offer for your customer. Consider every element of the relationship and try to find variables where you and the customer share common ground. This approach will help keep the negotiation going long enough to find a workable deal.
Use Active Listening to Understand the Customer
To help you find an acceptable deal, you need to find out as much as you can about the customer’s wants, needs and expectations. It's hard to stay quiet when someone verbally attacks you or your organization, but yelling back can be the worst response.
Try to keep an aggressive customer talking. Not only will you discover valuable information about the customer’s needs, but you may also find that the customer begins to calm down.
Try to Recap What Has Been Established
Negotiations can become extremely confusing and frustrating, especially for someone who is worked up about the situation. Take time during the negotiations to pause and reflect on what has been achieved or decided, and check understanding. For example, "So if I do X, then you will do Y?". This will help clarify things for you and the customer and will enable you to continue the negotiations with a clearer vision.
Remember, You Need to be Assertive Too
Although you need to empathize with the customer’s feelings, if you don’t clarify the company's needs, the negotiation will quickly turn to a discussion about concessions. This detracts from solving the real problems and doesn't help the company or future customers with similar issues. It's vital, though, that when you assert the company's needs, you do so in a non-provocative manner. Again, try to build common ground by focusing on shared interests.
Invite the Customer to Help Shape the Proposal
Before any final commitment is agreed, you need to check that it works for both parties. Avoid agreeing to an issue until you have tested how it fits the overall deal. Remember, taking back concession is almost impossible once you have made it. Instead, try to make tentative and conditional agreements with the customer.
Deal With Customer Tactics
Sometimes, customers use their anger as a manipulative tactic. It's imperative you remain unfazed by this. Never give in to emotional blackmail. If customers lose their temper, don’t lose yours. If they rant at you, avoid nodding or saying anything until they've finished, then suggest an agenda for a more constructive discussion.
As a final step, address the customer openly about their unacceptable behavior. Point out it's not achieving anything and suggest moving onto a productive discussion as to what can be done to remedy the situation. If you select this option, you should speak with a strong, assertive tone that isn't patronizing and condescending.
