| Serving the Nightmare Customer |
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"The customer is always right." How many times have you heard that phrase? What does it really mean to you? Years ago, while working at a ski area, I was brought in to deal with an irate customer. He had already brought two front-line staffers to tears. The problem was that he was demanding something we did not offer. No matter how we tried to explain it or offer alternatives, it did not matter. Finally, after he lunged over the counter at me, the police were called and I decided a "Customer Service Reference Kit" was needed to help deal with these types of situations in the future. Although your nightmare customer may not be as extreme as mine, you need to be ready for anything. After years of dealing with the public, we have created some common scenarios that you may encounter and some suggestions for resolving them to everyone's satisfaction. They may not turn your nightmare customer into a service person's dream, but they can help you maintain your cool and more importantly, maintain your customer.
Presenting Price Increases
Solution: Solution: Without being patronizing, try to explain the reason for the transition.
Ask the
customer to try the new approach and report back to you about how it
worked. If you are replacing their former contact, the resentment may
be personally directed at you. Allow them to absorb your sudden
appearance in their life and assure them that you are happy to be
working with them.
Solution: If a customer spurns your offers of assistance, try to
uncover the basis of his concerns and assure him of your competence. If
you or your organization is new to the area, describe your credentials.
If you are challenged on the basis of age, gender or appearance,
maintain your cool, keeping the conversation light and friendly.
Solution: In
case you haven’t figured this out, this is a lose-lose situation. Even
if you can prove the customer wrong, you'll most probably embarrass
them or inspire their anger. To defuse the situation, show sympathy and
endeavor to fix the problem. Acknowledging their distress isn't an
admission of blame. Next, get more details about how the
misunderstanding occurred. In their recitation, the customer may come
to realize that they were completely mistaken or at least partially at
fault.
Solution: In
any case, it's your job to take the heat and it falls on you to rectify
the situation and satisfy the customer. If the customer isn't
understanding or willing to listen to your excuses, you may be in
danger of losing this customer. Quickly and sincerely apologize for the
time lost and inconvenience. Find out how the mistake has impacted on
their life. Offer to fix the problem as quickly as possible. Personally
guide the issue to its resolution and then follow up with the customer,
letting them know that you haven't dropped the ball.
Solution: If the
customer incurs late payment penalties, they may experience
embarrassment and hostility. If you feel awkward contacting them by
telephone, send invoices after 60 or 90 days. Try to determine whether
the customer is purposely withholding payment as a protest against what
they perceive as poor service, or whether they are experiencing a
financial problem. It helps if you can make the debt impersonal.
Explain that "the account" is overdue, rather than stating that they
owe you money. You might consider offering discounts to customers who
pay promptly. In the long run, this will save you over the costs of
late payment penalties.
Most of the time, it just takes kindness, compassion and common sense to turn nightmare customers around.
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