How to Deal with Challenging Customers? Strategies to Deal with Four Types of Difficult Customers- BizTechBlogs

Dealing with Challenging Customers

Dealing with customers can’t be skipped when you are doing business. We meet diverse types of customers or clients daily who come to us to handle their queries. Bargaining with customers requires outstanding customer support skills, and this skill is more crucial when you are interacting with challenging customers. It is necessary to identify those situations or the reasons that bother customers and comprehend their emotions so you can handle the problem professionally. 

Being a business person, it is important to deal with difficult customers effectively. Through efficient customer support, negative situations cant be turned positive with creative solutions. You can consider your customers brand ambassadors; their good words can create a positive brand image especially when the negative situation is handled well. Similarly, if the situations are handled professionally or positively, those aggressive customers will walk away satisfyingly and will like to have good future relations.

How do You Deal with Difficult Customers?

We usually think that angry customers are the challenging ones. Here are mentioned four types of customers that the support department frequently interacts with and shared useful tips on how to deal with these difficult customers.

1. Aggressive Customers 

It is the most common category of customers with whom the customer support department interacts.

Through telephones or e-mails, we face those customers who talk harshly and can annoy others, thus releasing their frustrations. Here, you have to play the role. The customer might have experienced product malfunction or received the product late, might be argued with a family member, or facing any depressing situation. You need to understand the situation by acting professionally and initiating from apology even if you don't feel any mistake. This act can enable the annoying customer to cool down. Though the customer does not have a personal issue with you, it is with the product or company, and luckily you are the representative at that moment. 

You can listen to the client's problem patiently without reciprocating, as it can lead to a productive discussion. It is vital to keep your tone normal and soft which can further lower the customer's anger.

For instance, 

The customer: "I used your product today for the first time and found it broken. You people have wasted my time and money. It was better to order that product from any other company. You must refund my money." 

The agent: "I apologize that you received a broken item. I understand the distress and inconvenience you have faced. You will receive a new product within 24 hours.”

2. Demanding Customers

These are the type of customers who keep on asking for the things you are not authorized to do. These customers demand something extra and expect you to fulfil it in the same manner as requested. You can assure these customers to meet the expectation but to certain limits as you also adhere to the company policies. Keeping the tone friendly and soft, you can ensure the customer of your help in the best possible manner but according to the company’s laws and regulations. Moreover, you are also accountable to the higher managers. 

Your response: "As you have used the product for one month, I am sorry we can't refund, but we can provide you with a product warranty. After the maintenance, if the product remains defected, we will provide you with a replacement."

3. Indecisive Customer

These are the customers who do not make quick decisions. They need the reassurance of the products or services to reach the final decisions. It is not like these customers are out of money, or they are not interested in purchasing, but the salesperson thinks that this shopper is wasting his time. The salesperson should apprehend the shopper's psychology and initiate an open discussion about their concerns. For instance, what qualities does he seek from that particular product?

These customers might ask various questions, so the salesperson must provide relevant answers to the queries and be patient.

The indecisive customer can be an opportunity, and you can close a sale; it is suggested not to be frustrated.

You need to provide examples of the satisfied users and elaborate on the uses or advantages of that product, such as how this product can make his work easier. 

There are many other options in the outlet, which can confuse the customer, so you can narrow down the choices by explaining the features. These steps may help in making a better decision.

4. Confused Customer

The confused customers do not understand how your product or the policies work. They have pre-developed their expectation about product functionality in a specific format. The confused customers might have experienced from other companies that let them consider that your company might also work in the same manner.

It is necessary to keep these customers aware of your product's functions and company policies in a step-by-step way. You need to know firstly from the customers what misconceptions they have about the products or services. What do you think about how this product works? 

You can pick out the misconceptions about policies or products. Validate their experiences, and afterwards, you can clarify their confusion by explaining the specialities of the products.

If the customers remain confused, you can change the wording and explain by giving different examples.

Another thing is to transfer the call to your immediate manager to explain more precisely. This small action might help the customer better understand, and he will get relaxed with confirming the idea.

Conclusion

We deal with a diverse range of customers in professional life. Interacting with these customers can be sometimes annoying, frustrating, joyful, funny and disappointing. Being a professional, it is noteworthy not to forget that customers are also human, and can face mood swings due to different problems in their lives. The customers need to be understood by listening to them to build a good rapport. 

Their problems with a business process or products need to be handled creatively so that does not occur again. The issue is created once, it is critical to get to the bottom of the point and try to avoid it. The challenging customers and their experiences may agitate you, but they provide a better opportunity for your company to improve.