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8/9/2019 3440 Stevenson How to Deal With Difficult Customers
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How To Handle DifficultCustomers
Hope Stevenson
Dave Pomeroy Signature Training
Hope Stevenson has 16 years of training and customer service experience in business settings. She
studied communications at Messiah College in Grantham, Pennsylvania and she began working for
Kinney Corporation where she was responsible for weekly sales
HPBExpo Education
March 13, 2013 – March 16, 2013
Orlando, FL
Sponsored by:
8/9/2019 3440 Stevenson How to Deal With Difficult Customers
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How To Deal With
Difficult CustomersHope
Stevenson
Welcome...How To Deal With DifficultCustomers
Satisfied customers are a must!
What customers expect
What makes customers difficult
8 steps to handling difficult customers
Using body language
Welcome...How To Deal With DifficultCustomers
Different types of difficult customers and how to
handle each
Tips
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Best Ideas
Satisfied Customers Are A Must!
Have you ever been a
difficult customer?
You will always have
difficult customers
• Flight attendant in the
news
Satisfied Customers Are A Must!
It is yourrespons y
Intentional
Your employees
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Satisfied Customers Are A Must!
The customer is not an interruption of our businessthey are the purpose of our business
Satisfied Customers Are A Must!
The most important person in our business is our
customer
It costs 7 times more to find a new customer than take
care of an old one
Satisfied Customers Are A Must!
Dissatisfied customers tell 10-12 people about
their bad experience
Satisfied customers tell 5-6 other people
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What Customers Expect
What customers want:
Well...what do you expect???
What Customers Expect
Respect (focus on them)
Solve their problems
Basic courtesies (pleasant and good
attitude
Fairness
What Customers Expect
Speed
Honesty (don’t fail to live up to
Skill
Appreciation
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What Customers Expect
From products:
Be available
Fairly priced
Be safe and do what’s advertised
What Makes a Customer Difficult?
When they don’t get what they
expect
Outside issues
Tired
Stressed
Feel no one is listening
Satisfied Customers Are A Must!
The customer is always right – no but – they are thecustomer
Perception is reality
You can win the fight but lose the customer
They may not be right in court but if they’re unhappy
they’re right to complain
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Satisfied Customers Are A Must!
Customers may be fired… (management makesthat decision)
Not all dissatisfied customers com lain
94% of dissatisfied customers simply take theirbusiness somewhere else because it is easy to do
Satisfied Customers Are A Must!
Why don’t they complain?
’
No one does anything
You must defend your position
It’s too easy to just go else where
What Makes a Customer Difficult?
We WANT customers to complain
We can’t fix it if they don’t, we want
the opportunity to keep their business
Chances are others have the same
problem
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Best Ideas
8 Steps to Handling Any DifficultCustomer
There are 8 basic steps to use when handling ANY
difficult customer
1. Know the situation
. n e rue pro em
3. Repeat concerns
4. Thank them
5. Apologize
6. Seek best solution
7, Act quickly
8. Follow up
8 Steps to Handling Any DifficultCustomer
Step One - Know the
situation
e a e no you can
Technician/Salesman
Manufacturer
Past history
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8 Steps to Handling Any DifficultCustomer
Don’t make customerrepeat
Do intro when
transferring on phone
8 Steps to Handling Any DifficultCustomer
Learn the customers
name
Don’t make judgements
Adjust your mindset
8 Steps to Handling Any DifficultCustomer
Step two - Find the true problem
Don’t avoid. Act immediately
Always return calls promptly
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8 Steps to Handling Any DifficultCustomer
Listen intently
Listen to understand, not with the intent to reply
8 Steps to Handling Any DifficultCustomer
“Let’s go over what happened”
“Please tell me why your upset”
“I see, I can appreciate” - don’t be fake
8 Steps to Handling Any DifficultCustomer
Take notes
Don’t worry about solution yet
An angry person needs to vent
Do not correct
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8 Steps to Handling Any DifficultCustomer
No interruptions
By you
Outside
8 Steps to Handling Any DifficultCustomer
If the customer addresses
you y an ema or over e
phone
Offer to meet them in
person (harder to be angry
to someone’s face)
8 Steps to Handling Any DifficultCustomer
Step three - Repeat concerns
“What I’m hearing is...”
Give them a chance to agree or add
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8 Steps to Handling Any DifficultCustomer
Step four - Thank them
“Thank you for sharing withme and giving me the
opportunity to make things
right for you.”
Make sure customer
believes you believe them
8 Steps to Handling Any DifficultCustomer
Step five - Apologize
Sincerely
Stop saying sorry...“I don’t blame
you for being upset, I apologize
we’ve inconvenienced you”
“I can fully understand why you are
upset, I apologize this occurred”
8 Steps to Handling Any DifficultCustomer
If fault is yours, admit it - don’t make
excuses
ou may ose e a e u w n
the customer
Be careful if there are liability
issues
Make it clear you want to help
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8 Steps to Handling Any DifficultCustomer
Step seven - Act
quickly
Do it! Immediately!
They will focus on
your willingness
8 Steps to Handling Any DifficultCustomer
Step eight - Follow up
Call customer after solution is in
place and make sure it is
satisfactory
Always communicate on time even
if you don’t have the answer
If internal solution, “report” to
customer
8 Steps to Handling Any DifficultCustomer
Follow up one month after
Depending on generation, send thank you card
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Using Body Language
Body language is imperative throughout the process
Customers will have their guard up
Using Body Language
People respond to us by:
55% how we look to them (body language)
38% interpretation of our attitude (voice tone and
intonation)
7% the words we say
Using Body Language
Smile, with eyes
Good posture
Calm, low tone of voice
Nod when customer is talking
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Using Body Language
Maintain eye contact
Don’t break downward
86% caucasian
61% african american
53% hispanics
Using Body Language
Foot, legs toward
customer
Body open, not crossed
Palms/fists open
No fingers, chopping
Using Body Language
No chewing
Multi tasking
Avoid sighing
NO physical contact
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Best Ideas
Different Types of Customers andHow to Handle Them
Different types of customers respond to different
tactics
Angry
Acknowledge anger “I can see you’re upset, I
want to help solve this problem so please
help me understand what has happened”
Move beyond emotions
Be positive, not “I can’t do that” but “what Ican do is...”
Different Types of Customers andHow to Handle Them
Dissatisfied
Even if from previous experience
Remain positive, don’t mirror or agree
Don’t make excuses, just solve the problem
Smile and positive wording
“Would you mind...”, “Can I ask you to...
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Different Types of Customers andHow to Handle Them
Indecisive
Don’t know what they want, afraid of wrong
decision
Be patient
Open ended questions
Offer choices that will help narrow down
Don’t chose for them...they won’t be
satisfied later
Different Types of Customers andHow to Handle Them
Demanding or Domineering
Could be personality or past wrong
Always be professional - stay in adult
mode
Show respect, use customer’s name
Positive eye contact
Apologize if appropriate
Different Types of Customers andHow to Handle Them
Rude or offensive
Often they are insecure so will raise voice,
demand to speak to supervisor, useprofanity
Remain professional
Calm but assertive
No retaliation
Walk away if it gets too bad
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Different Types of Customers andHow to Handle Them
Talkative
Usually irrelevant - takes too much time
-
acknowledge what they said but return to
point
Use response to questions to steer back
Make it about them...”I know you said
you had a lot of shopping to do so I won’t
keep you any longer...”
Different Types of Customers andHow to Handle Them
For all:
se pos ve wor s... nsea o pro em
use situation, challenge, concern
Write down complaint (even on phone)to keep record
Ask supervisor or employee to join you
Different Types of Customers andHow to Handle Them
If customer won’t listen, say their name
and beginning and/or end of sentence
Stand if necessary
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Different Types of Customers andHow to Handle Them
Never swear!
If customers swear at you, “Mr. _____, I
haven’t said or done anything to
disrespect you, could you please treat
me with the same level of respect so we
can move forward to me helping you”
If continues reschedule, “Mr. ______, I
can see your extremely upset. I will
happy to discuss this with you tomorrow
when things aren’t so fresh.”
Best Ideas
5 Final Tips
5 must do’s!!!!!
1. Follow SOP’s
2. Listen to customers
3. Control inflection and tone of voice
4. Be positive, friendly, helpful
5. Be responsive to feedback
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5 Final Tips
Remember:
Don’t take it personally
Some people will just take their bad day out on
you
Debrief situation afterwards - what can you do
differently next time
Train and practice
You’re good at what you do!!!!
Group List
Action Items