How
To Deal With Customer Disputes Without Losing Customers
 |
When
you are a customer, it's convenient to be dogmatic about
the old "customer is always right" ideal. |
However,
some customers take advantage of their power position,
using their eternal status of "right" to take advantage of
business owners and service providers.
Although
most business owners say the customer is always right,
they each have their own list of clauses to protect themselves--
as well they should. If a customer requires something unreasonable
from you, you have the right to refuse them, even if your
refusal sparks their antagonism.
It
is much easier to deal with this type of customer in a
big city environment. Amid the throng of people, you can console
yourself with the knowledge that, if you do incite the wrath
of a customer, you will probably never see them again.
When
you operate a business or provide a service in a small
town, dealing with unhappy customers is a much more delicate
procedure. Especially when you have to sit two pews away from
them in church the next day.
Business owners in rural communities are denied the
option of washing their hands of antagonistic customers. Letting
a customer leave angry and unsatisfied virtually guarantees
gossip. And in a small town, bad news travels faster. It can
sweep through the community in less than a week, wiping out
your customers as effectively as the galloping consumption.
The
key is to douse an unsatisfied customer's rage before
it really starts to burn. Most customers won't enter the scene
in a huff. When they become really unpleasant is when they
don't get the kind of service and understanding they want.
Over
the years, my friend Bill, a small town furniture store
owner, has had to become an expert in the art of angry customer
prevention.
One
of the difficult situations Bill has to deal with often
is the return of electronics that were sold to smokers. Many
people buy things from Bill that, a month later, they decide
they can't afford. The problem is that cigarette smoke reeks
havoc on electronics after a short period of time. Not only
does the smoke cause mechanical problems, but every time the
TV is turned on, it exudes the smell of cigarette smoke.
Bill
cannot simply eat the cost of these damaged electronics,
like Kmart or Walmart have the freedom to do. He has to figure
out some way to deal with the customer's unreasonable request
without antagonizing him.
I
am fascinated by Bill's ability to handle these situations.
I asked him to describe in detail how he was able to defuse
these potential explosions before impact. This is what he
told me:
-
At the beginning of the interaction, listen. Don't talk.
Interrupting the customer's monologue would be regarded
as a lack of interest and respect.
-
Don't
come to any quick conclusions. Wait until you have the customer's
entire story, so they feel you've heard them out in full.
-
To
prove you were listening closely, paraphrase the customer's
statements.
-
If the confrontation escalates and the customer becomes
angry, try to concentrate on the customer's message instead
of their anger. If you let the customer drive you to angry
statements and outbursts, you will create a downward spiral
that will never end well.
-
Remember that your objective is to show the customer you
want to help. Becoming angry or argumentative would only
prove that your sole concern is yourself and your interests.
-
If you come to an agreement indicating that the customer
is wrong, try to avoid making the situation embarrassing
for her.
-
Above all, always, always, always apologize, even if you
know you did nothing wrong.
Always
do your best to avoid turning a minor disagreement into
a major argument. If the customer comes in angry, do what
you can to make sure he leaves placated.
Unfortunately,
there are some customers who don't deserve to be dealt
with in the respectful manner described above:
