We’ve all been there – an order gets delayed, miscommunication occurs, or items get damaged in transit. Keeping your clients happy isn’t always easy, especially when something goes wrong.
Offering great customer service is essential for all businesses, but as a business owner yourself, it is even more important to give your clients a fantastic experience. Satisfied customers will continue to return to you as well as recommend you to others. But when something goes wrong, what do you do?
Tips for Handling Difficult Customers
Stay calm.
This can be one of the most difficult things to do when working with an upset customer. No matter the situation, you have to stay calm and collected no matter what the client says or does. While this can be challenging, keep in mind that anger is a natural emotion, and your reaction can either fuel the “fire” or calm them down.
If you’re having trouble staying cool and collected, try to walk away from the interaction to calm yourself down. Take some deep breaths to slow your heartrate and look at the situation from the perspective of the customer. Speak clearly and confidently, but make sure to validate the customer’s frustrations and work to get the situation resolved.
Maintain a professional tone.
Just like staying calm, this can be difficult to do. Keep in mind that you are the expert here, and your client is looking to you to solve the problem. Make sure to clearly state what the problem is – i.e., “So let me make sure I understand the situation. Your order was printed incorrectly, and you need the replacement shipped before your event next week. Is that correct?”
Use simple language.
While trying to maintain your professional tone and assure the customer that you know what you’re talking about, keep your use of industry-specific jargon to a minimum. This can end up confusing and frustrating your client even more, so try to use simple language.
Actively seek a solution.
Depending on the issue, the solution your client wants may not be possible. For example, if the art they gave you to go on the mugs they ordered has a typo and they only noticed it when the order was delivered, there’s little you can do in terms of making the situation right. Since the client was the one who made the mistake, you aren’t technically responsible for fixing it. However, if you can come up with a creative solution (such as helping them reorder with express shipping), they will likely return to you when they need to order merch for their business again.
Ask for help when you need it.
Sometimes, a situation may come along where you don’t know what the right resolution is. In that case, reach out to Business Owner Support. Our dedicated team of professionals is ready to help you solve complicated situations and keep your clients happy.
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