Authored by Sanketa Nayak in Business Management
Published on 01-05-2009
Perhaps you know that you are facing an extreme dilemma with your clients, but you don’t have any idea how to deal with it to turn it into a win-win situation. This article will help you work out the twists and turns that you have to navigate when you are in a turbulent relationship with a client.
Every businessman has to deal with difficult clients every now and then, one way or another. Unfortunately, not all of us are good enough at the deed. These unlucky ones end up losing clients along the way, something that businessmen always try to avoid at all costs.
Luckily, there are ways that one can deal successfully with a very irate and unreasonable client, as well as to address their complaints in an appropriate manner. Here are some tips that might be helpful when you encounter a bad client that is bothering your business.
Take It Easy
Some businessmen and customer service representatives tend to lose their tempers and get carried away by their emotions when dealing with difficult customers, especially when profanities have already come into play. This is because we all tend to take things personally, which in business can be counterproductive and could hurt your enterprise in the end.
The lesson is, don’t let it get into your head. Take it easy. It does not do anything good to both you and the client to play fire against fire. As a businessman, you have to play it cool despite whatever words your clients hurl at you. Remember, your client has nothing to lose except your temper, but you have your reputation to worry about and/or lose.
Keep in mind that a client will only make complaints when they have problems with how your services and products reach them, and it does not mean they have issues with you personally. Even if the customer is quite irate and unreasonable, it is not beneficial at all to enter into a word war and confrontation.
Put Yourself in Their Shoes, and Admit Mistakes
It could be helpful to try to understand what your client’s problem is. This way, you can avoid taking things too personally when your client starts to bad-mouth you. Instead, you should try to put yourself in their shoes. Try to gauge how you would react if you were in their place and you get a bad word in return for your complaint lodged with the company’s manager or their customer service representative.
Part of this also is to know when to say a kind word of apology to the client if it can be discerned that your company has made a mistake or offense at the client’s expense. Emotions have no place within business communications, and pride does not work either. Apologize, and make efforts to try and remedy the situation. Such small efforts can cement your relationship with the client further and can help your company’s reputation greatly.
