Customer fronting roles are the most satisfying but could also be the most frustrating if things go south. When they do go south, it goes quickly. Today we explore with typical difficult customer personas and share generally on how to deal with them.
Angry Mary
There is always this customer who seems to be in rage mode all the time. They raise their voices, look for your manager, put people down and just wants to express their anger to anyone who is listening to them.
How to deal: Listening is key. Regardless of whose fault it is, always be ready to listen. Don’t match aggressiveness with emotions, tit for tat as it will only aggravate the situation. Listen to words between her lines instead of the tone and try to understand the root of the problem. When the anger has subsided, apologize for the inconvenience the customer has suffered. Offer solutions and make decisions that solve the problem on hand. Don’t let your emotions get into the way of turning the customer around.
Impatient patient
You know how long the queues at the clinics can get and every patient seems to have started queueing the day before. It is almost ironic how patient a patient has to be.
There will always be customers who needs their stuff since yesterday and rarely cares on how busy you are or if there is a queue. Ultimately the customer just wants his things done and quickly move on with their lives.
How to deal: Everyone deserves a prompt and quick response because queueing is simply time wasting. Unfortunately, things don’t always go the way we want it to be and customers do have to wait. Try to explain why things aren’t moving as quick as you would also wish to be. If there are time fillers such as looking at the menu or brochures, try to allocate those so it can occupy the customer’s time.
Silent Alan
Introverts also consume products and services. Such customers are pleasant to deal with but often tricky to get things right. There is also an old saying that customers who complain aren’t the worst because the worst simply don’t come back again. It is precisely this group that will swallow their grievances and simply take their business elsewhere. Thus, it is important to make sure you get things right for them.
How to deal: Most customers know what they want but this group are particularly bad at vocalizing their thoughts. The onus will be on you to try to understand them as much as possible about what they need. Ask questions to get more specific. Use visuals and paraphrasing to achieve common understanding.
Complaining Cornelius
The milder version of angry Mary who doesn’t fly into a rage. Some are meticulous with details and can spot very fine details of what went wrong. A few might also be mavericks in your field. They will complain and escalate when not resolved.
How to deal: Apologize for what has happened and falling short of expectations. Don’t try to offer any excuses. Offer alternative solutions and seek managerial support when appropriate. When properly pacified, they become your best word of mouth to help market your business.
Knows-it-all Snowy
Most who profess to know it all don’t really know so they are just being egoistic. They will insist they know what they are saying or doing and most of them don’t.
How to deal: Truth hurts, and their ego are fragile. Give them some ego boost by dishing out some compliments for them. Next politely suggest some other options or improvements which might work for them. If they insist on their ways, accept it and leave it up to them to take it or leave it.