Difficult customer – how to deal with them?

Difficult customers are unavoidable in sales. They can throw you off balance, but it’s important to remember that despite their difficulty in handling them, they can bring value to your business. How do you deal with difficult customers and can you learn anything from your interactions with them?

Who is a difficult customer?

A difficult customer is someone who requires special attention and effort from your staff because of their expectations, attitude or communication. Dealing with such customers requires empathy and patience on the part of your staff. Developed communication skills are also important.

Customers can be difficult to deal with due to a number of internal factors (i.e. relating to their nature) and external factors (e.g. offers). They can be categorised into the following types (however, it must be remembered that this is a loose division and each type requires an individual approach):

• Undecided has difficulty making a purchasing decision. Often asks a lot of questions but cannot define his/her needs.
• Aggressive (verbally or physically) may express dissatisfaction in a harsh tone and even insult staff.
• “Low-budget” wants to get as much as possible for as little as possible, negotiates prices and may be dissatisfied with the offer.
• “All-knowing” thinks he knows better than others and often criticises products or staff competence.
• The customer with high expectations expects excellent quality and often feels that standard solutions are not sufficient for them.
• The impatient one expects an immediate response or fulfilment of needs and may show frustration with service delivery times.
• “Complaint champion” often complains about various, often minor, aspects of products or services.
• The evasive can be difficult to deal with as they avoid talking to staff or do not respond to attempts to contact them.

Principles for handling a difficult customer

Handling difficult customers can be a challenge, but customer service staff can manage these situations by following a few immutable rules. First and foremost, remain calm and professional. Not responding to verbal aggression, a calm tone and a professional attitude can effectively cool the ardour of a difficult customer. Focus on finding a solution to the problem. Also, an empathetic approach and showing understanding of the client’s feelings and frustrations can help ease the tension.

It is also good to listen carefully. The problem often largely resolves itself if you allow the client to express their concerns. In order to choose the best solution and to understand the client’s needs, it is useful to ask questions.

Once you have identified the problem, it is a good idea to present possible solutions to the customer (these depend on the specifics of the problem, but may include repair or replacement of the product, a refund or a discount). After presenting the possible solutions, let the customer choose – this way you show that you respect their opinion and want to meet their needs. If you have promised the customer some action, make sure it is taken, as this affects trust and satisfaction.

Customer service staff should maintain a positive attitude and approach every situation with optimism, even when dealing with a difficult customer. They are diverse in terms of needs, expectations and temperament. The approach should be adapted to each person individually.

Use clear and understandable expressions when communicating with a difficult client. Avoid using technical language. It may not be understood by the client, which will only make the situation worse. When communicating face-to-face with a difficult customer, be aware of your body language, gestures and facial expressions – they can affect the perception of the message.

For your own safety and for quality monitoring purposes, it is a good idea to document interactions with difficult customers. You can refer back to them if necessary. Analyse situations with difficult customers to identify areas where you can improve. Every situation is different and may require an individual approach. Be open to changing your strategy or approach if you find that your current actions are not working.

Use a negative experience as motivation to improve your customer service skills, and to make changes to products or services that contribute to problems. After an interaction with a difficult customer, it is useful to summarise and analyse the conversation to better understand what could have been done differently. Sharing the experience with the team allows for shared learning and development.

If the situation requires the intervention of a senior person, your staff should not be shy about asking for support. It is also worth remembering that your employees should on the one hand strive to solve the problem, but on the other hand they should be assertive and take care of themselves. Customers are important, but it is your employees who build the success of your business, so in extremely difficult situations, their welfare should outweigh customer satisfaction. It is worth remembering that everyone has boundaries and there is no obligation to tolerate aggression, violence or offensive behaviour. In such situations, it is important to skilfully withdraw from the conversation, maintaining professionalism, and consult your manager.

Examples of conversations with a difficult customer

The exact way to talk to a difficult customer depends on the specifics of the problem, the characteristics of the customer and the employee, the communication skills of the latter and many other factors. The examples of conversations with an aggressive customer and a customer with high expectations show that a professional tone, active listening, empathy and offering a solution can resolve almost any stressful situation. Often, being patient and calmly conducting the conversation is enough to meet the needs of difficult customers.

Example 1: Aggressive customer

Customer: This is absolutely unacceptable! I bought your product two days ago and it has already broken! I want an immediate replacement!

Employee: I apologise for any inconvenience. I understand that this is frustrating. In order to find an appropriate solution, I would like to know more about the problem. Could you please tell us what happened to the product?

Customer: It just stopped working! It’s a complete failure!

Employee: Thank you for the information. Can I ask for the serial number of the product to check the details? I would like to see if the product I purchased is eligible for replacement or repair.

Customer: (Gives the serial number)

Employee: Thank you. I have checked the details and it looks like the product is eligible for a free repair. If you prefer a replacement, I can arrange this. Please let me know what suits you best.

Customer: I want a replacement!

Employee: It’s fine, I will organise a replacement. Please be patient for a moment, I need to make changes to the system.

Example 2: Customer with high expectations

Customer: Your service is unacceptable! I expected everything to work perfectly, but it doesn’t!

Employee: I am sorry that our service did not meet your expectations. Could you please describe what specifically is not working? That way I can find the most appropriate solution.

Customer: It is not as fast and efficient as I was promised. I am very disappointed.

Employee: Thank you for the information. I would like to investigate the matter thoroughly and see if there is anything we can do to improve performance. Can I ask for your customer number so that we can do this?

Customer: (Provides customer number)

Employee: Thank you. I have checked your account and we can upgrade the service to a higher plan that may better meet your needs. We can also check if there are any technical issues with your current plan. Please let us know what you prefer so that we can act according to your wishes.

Customer: I want to try this higher plan, but I don’t want to pay extra for it.

Employee: I understand. If this is the case, I can offer you a free trial period for the higher plan so that you can see if it will be suitable. If you decide to stay on this plan after the trial period, then additional charges will be applied. Does this sound good?

Client: Yes, I agree to the trial period.

Employee: Great! I will upgrade your account to a higher plan with a free trial period. Please wait a while while I make the changes. Once the upgrade is complete, you should notice an improvement in the performance of the service.

Are there benefits to be gained from contact with a difficult customer?

Even benefits can be drawn from contact with a difficult customer. The experience can be stressful, but it offers valuable lessons and opportunities for personal and professional development. Dealing with difficult customers teaches effective communication, which is crucial not only in the area of customer service, but also in many other aspects of life.

Confronting difficult customers can help employees learn how to manage stress and remain calm and professional in difficult situations. It also helps employees develop empathy and can strengthen their perseverance by teaching them how to deal with adversity and professional challenges.

Criticism from difficult customers can help companies identify areas where products or services need improvement. Difficult customers often have high expectations, which can force a company to take their needs into account and make appropriate changes. It is worth remembering that if a difficult customer is handled well, it can increase consumer loyalty – that client may recommend your company to others and support its reputation in the market.

Difficult customers can be problematic, but they can contribute to the growth and development of your employees and your business as a whole. It is important to see such situations as opportunities to learn and improve skills. In dealing with such customers, it is important to maintain professionalism, empathy and patience, while taking care of your mental and emotional health.