Although “the customer is always right”, they may not always be easy to deal with. Learning how to deal with difficult customers is an important step for any business. Even well established businesses with the best products and services are bound to have occasional run-ins with angry customers.

To build a positive reputation with consumers, it is important to have properly trained staff who can handle difficult people and resolve customer complaints.

However, handling an angry customer doesn’t stop there. Here are some of the techniques and strategies that you can learn to enhance the quality of your customer service when dealing with complaints.

Difficult Customer Experience Scenarios

1. The Impatient Customer: 

• The situation: An impatient customer may have been waiting to be attended to, and he may be running late to his next appointment, or maybe they are restless while you look for a solution to their issue or concern.
• How to handle it: Be clear and to the point without appearing dismissive. Explain transparently why there’s a wait or delay without getting into specifics. Make sure an impatient customer knows that effort is being invested in resolving the situation.

Helpful Tips:-

Frame your answer in a positive light, too. For example, instead of saying that item they want is out of stock, explain that a new delivery is expected by a certain date where you are expecting their order or that you are working quickly to restock the items in question.

2. The Demanding Customer:

• The Situation: A demanding customer takes lots of your energy and time, often at the expense of other customers. They stick to the service or solution they want and may not accept alternatives. To a point where they say, “I want to see the manager”.
• How to handle it: Start by apologizing while you speak slowly and being patient. Hear their concerns and move swiftly to address them. Be transparent too, answer honestly if the situation is out of your hands and cannot be rectified according to the customer’s needs, suggest an alternative and focus much on the benefits.

3. The Vague (Not Clear) Customer:

The Situation: This customer comes to your business without a clear idea of what they need. They may have difficulty explaining, or they may not have a complete understanding of their options about the products or services you have. As you ask questions to get to the heart of the issue, the answers don’t necessarily help or may even add more confusion to the situation.

How to handle it: Ask straight and specific questions about their needs. This is more likely to provide the information you need to best help them, each question you ask should be with the purpose of getting to the bottom of the situation so you don’t spend too much time while other customers are waiting.

4. The Customer that Demands a Refund:

The Situation: This customer is so disappointed with the service that they are requesting for their money back.

How to handle it: Each company has their own refund policy, as well as regulations that determine what items can be taken back. While the best course of action is to provide a refund in full or in part, your company may want to offer a credit towards future purchases. If you do give the refund, be clear about when it will be processed and how long they can expect it to take.

5. The Unhappy Customer:

The Situation: Despite your best efforts to resolve their situation, the customer is still dissatisfied with the resolutions offered.

How to handle it: An angry customer and an unhappy customer requires a similar response. Begin with an apology, even if you don’t feel like one is warranted. Briefly take stock of the solutions offered and attempt to offer something else, consult your company policies to determine what you can offer in this situation. During the conversation, don’t dismiss their concerns or complaints, listen with an attentive ear and show how sorry you are.