How To Deal With Difficult Customers? 8 Tips and Tricks

The biggest question of all business owners is, “How to Deal With Difficult Customers”?

We can understand the frustration of “difficult customers” coming through. It can ruin your day, but you are not alone

Business is no less than a roller coaster ride. There is always 2% of the customers that are difficult to handle it. So how to handle difficult customers?

Are you or your customers looking like one of them? 👇🏻

Well, then there is always a way of dealing with difficult customers.

In this blog, we can learn and know more about tricks, tips, and tactics for dealing with difficult customers.

Key Takeaway :

Dealing with difficult customers is a common challenge in business. Always present yourself genuinely, be supportive, and prepare your team to handle such customers. Document the interactions, learn from past experiences, and remember that every customer deserves your love and support. It’s important to handle difficult customers with care and professionalism, as they can become loyal customers if their concerns are addressed effectively.

It is completely okay to have difficult customers in business complaining about the product or services and so for that, you must be now pro at handling difficult customers.

There can be varied types of challenging customers that can cross your path in the business but the most difficult is to tackle customers who are not ready to listen to you and are too dissatisfied with your business.

Let’s understand the types of customers that you should be prepared beforehand.

How to Deal with Difficult Customers? Strategies for Diffusing Tension

Handling difficult customers is not easy but angry customers are outrageous to control sometimes. Angry customers express their feelings of frustration due to dissatisfied products or services.

One of the examples of Angry Customer Message to a Company

Yes, it can feel like being attacked.

But customer service tips for angry customers are noted here with special tips for you to apply in business. 

But by identifying the real reason and the root cause, you can identify the issue easily and let them know that it can be solved. Provide them with the fastest solution that you can suggest.

Handling Impatient Customers: Tips for Efficient Service

Customers at times can be a pain in your nerves, impatient customers surely can. For handling impatient customers, it is important that you need to be patient.

What you can do when you interact with such impatient customers?

The first and foremost thing you can do is, be patient. There is no chance of being hyper to them as one has to deal with customers by keeping the mind calm.

Sigs of “impatient” customers, how do their messages look like?

10:05 PM

Hey there. I’m facing an issue while setting up a template in your product, and I could really use some assistance. Is there anyone available to help me out?

10:10 PM

Still waiting for help. Are my emails being seen? This is quite urgent, as I promised my boss to get this done by 1 PM today.

10:20 PM

Anybody there? I really need some help. Debo assisted me promptly the last time I emailed. Are you reading this? I’m worried about getting into trouble with my boss.

10:40 PM

I’ve been waiting for 35 minutes for a response, and this is truly a critical matter. I need help urgently. Can’t anyone assist me? It’s just about figuring out how to create a template. If it’s easier, please feel free to call me at XXX-XXX-XXXX. I can’t keep constantly checking my email.

Too much to handle right? It can totally get overwhelming, but it is important that we handle it with care.

How can you prepare your team? 

📌 For such kind of customer dealing, it is important that your team is well prepared prior to solving their queries as soon as possible.

📌 Always keep self-service options handy to make them refer meanwhile and to provide instant solutions.

📌 Reduce their frustration by giving them timely updates on the query resolution progress. They will know, that their case is taken into priority and consideration.

Assisting Confused Customers: Clearing Up Misunderstandings

Confused customers are a blessing compared to “angry” and impatient” customers. They do not know how to operate your product. Meanwhile, they will always end up asking for maximum assistance and loads of queries.

But Support Agent always love to help. In the case of confused customers, they need some extra and special assistance.

How can you treat confused customers? 

📌 Videos can be a great solution for them to refer to and take from. It makes them understand easily and faster

📌 The step-by-step guide helps them to clarify the solution that they are facing. Reference is easier when it is guided step by step.

📌 Have clear communication, where exactly they are facing problems and how much time you will help them.

By addressing these pain points and improving the clarity of your product or service, you can reduce the number of confused customers and enhance overall customer satisfaction.

Managing “I know everything” Customers: Navigating Egos with Grace

It is hard to make someone understand who thinks that they know everything. But we do have a solution for handling those customers too.

How can you handle them? 

📌 Always stay “professional” while dealing with them. It is important that you do not lose any command of professionalism.

📌 Always respect them for the knowledge they have but always glide your expertise in it while interacting with them.

📌 Ensure that they learn or hear something new from the expertise that you hold.

📌 Choose an option where there are mutually beneficial solutions rather than heating up the ego with different perspectives.

Example of the “I know it all” Message from Customers

Hello,

I wanted to share my feedback regarding your editor. During my experience with it, I encountered significant difficulties with the drag-and-drop components. I’ve been in this industry for a considerable amount of time (you might recognize the domain in my email address), and I must say, it’s the first product I’ve come across that lacks search functionality for specific types of add-ons within the editor.

I’m curious if there’s a reason behind this decision, as I honestly can’t think of one.

To better serve your customers, I strongly suggest incorporating search functionality for add-ons and considering the addition of a few other add-ons as well. Without these improvements, you might risk losing several customers, including me. The market offers numerous alternatives with these features, and I’m seriously contemplating switching to one of them if these concerns remain unaddressed.

Considering the significant amount I pay for your service, I believe my opinion should hold some weight.

I hope you take this feedback into account and make the necessary improvements. It would make a substantial difference for users like myself.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Yes, it can be overwhelming to listen to sometimes, but it can be handled with care as stated.

Addressing Complaining Customers: Turning Complaints into Opportunities

Always be all ears to constructive criticism that will help you to grow your business eventually and know what exactly your customers are expecting from you.

Instead of being against them or defensive, accept what can be done from your end and immediately apply it.

Dear [Company],

I must express my frustration with your service. The slow response from your support team, the glitchy update, and the steep pricing have left me deeply dissatisfied. As a loyal customer, I expect better.

Please address these issues promptly, or I’ll have to explore other options.

Yes, I get it. They know all about your business. It is important that it might be overwhelming to listen but as stated the solution, can be handled with care 🙂

Engaging Chatty Customers: Building Rapport while Staying Focused

Chatty customers are sometimes fun no doubt but not when they clog you when you are busy. Yes, you will find some lonely people who would not hang up talking to you.

It is stressful when you have lots to do further but telling straight them on their face is also rude.

What can be done to avoid the trap of this situation?

📌 Steer the conversation politely and make them understand that you got their point.

📌 Actively listen to them to get their point in short. Tell them you got their point and will look forward to solving them.

📌 Draw a thin line between “being friendly” and “maintaining distance” via professionalism.

By this, you can always maintain a faster resolution to their query along with saving time from the chatty trap of customers.

Satisfying Highly Unsatisfied Customers: Difficult to please them

However, you be polite to your customers or visitors, there are customers who are not going to be satisfied. There is always a way to decide and handle difficult customers.

How can you tackle Unsatisfied Customers?

📌 Understand their specific requirements by knowing their actual reason for being unsatisfied.

📌 Tailor out the solutions, and provide a personalised solution to provide a memorable experience.

📌 Be patient and empathetic. Understand what they really expect from your business/services

📌 Build trust gradually by providing an accurate solution and being honest about the problem they faced.

Understanding and effectively handling different types of challenging customers is crucial for maintaining customer satisfaction and building long-term relationships.

Dealing with difficult customers can be a challenging task, but with the right strategies and approaches, it can also be an opportunity for growth and improvement.

Let’s get into all tips and tricks that will help you to prevent all the challenges coming your way

Always Be Prepared

If you run a business, may it be a product or service, you should be always prepared for every type of customer interacting with you.

🎯 Keep your team motivated to face all kinds of customers.

🎯 Work on feedback that is stated by customers

🎯 Prepare self-service options like guides, informative articles, how-tos and everything that customers require before contacting you.

If you are prepared with the resources you can easily tackle every kind of customer contacting you.

Be open to Constructive Criticism

There are two types of criticism: Constructive and Demoralising.

It is important to understand the difference between both and what changes are needed in your business regardless.

The tone of customers can be rude or not pleasing, but you can always take that as “constructive feedback”.

Multiple Communication Channel For Customers

If you be there where your customers are, you are considered the best “business”. It is better to be proactive on multiple communication channels as customers will always feel that you are there as support everywhere.

Not only this, but customers love to have different preferences considering communication channels, and why not always be ready for it?

👉🏻 For example, some customers may prefer the convenience of live chat, while others may prefer speaking to a customer service representative over the phone.

By offering a range of communication channels, you can cater to different customer preferences and provide a personalized experience.

Set Boundaries as an Agent with Customers

Handling difficult customers can be daunting, and of course, you need to act differently with different customers. To set boundaries in the relationship between customers and support agents.

The interaction tone should always be maintained professionalism, politeness, maintaining boundaries, and respect.

Offering Sincere Apologies When Valid

Offering apologies is nothing to be ashamed about. It helps in restoring the trust of your customers. Take responsibility for mistakes that are done by you. Own up.

🎯 Try to reinforce the solutions to customers and tell them that you will fix it no matter what.

🎯 Express your regret and guilt

🎯 Build trust by solving it faster and giving it a priority

🎯 Be genuine and real and stick to your commitment.

🎯 Give a genuine reason, why did this mistake happen from your end so that they can understand you well.

Here is an example of an “apology” that you should and should not use while talking to customers.