The customer is always right.
While not strictly true, many customers feel they should always be right. You’re providing a product or service — if it’s not up to scratch, it’s your fault. However, some customers take their frustrations too far, making it difficult to converse with them.
At this point, you need the skills to defuse the situation and turn a negative experience into a positive one. Remember, a positive shopping experience can turn a one-time visitor into a loyal, lifelong customer.
This article is your quick guide on how to deal with difficult customers. Let’s turn those frowns upside down.
Before we offer actionable tips on dealing with difficult customers, it’s important to try to avoid customers getting upset in the first place. Nail down these processes, and you might prevent many of the annoyances customers experience.
Preventative measures help create a solid foundation for excellent customer service. Being proactive is always better than being reactive.
Even if you’ve put preventative measures in place, you’ll still get disgruntled customers. Here’s how to deal with them.
It might feel difficult to remain calm when someone is shouting in your face or being unreasonable. When emotions are running high, maintaining your composure can help de-escalate the situation and show your professionalism — you are in control.
Here are a few techniques to try:
When customers feel heard and can tell that you’re trying to help, they’re more likely to respond positively to the outcome.
Related Read: How To Manage a Retail Store: 6 Steps to Success
We never know what someone is going through. Customers might have a bad day, and their negative experience in your store could be the last straw. Whatever the case, it’s not a question of if you’ll encounter a difficult customer but when.
Try shifting your perspective. Instead of viewing challenging encounters as stressful, see them as opportunities to grow and improve. Hone your problem-solving skills, practice empathy, and demonstrate how important customer service is in your store.
While difficult interactions help you grow, they can also turn a negative experience into a positive one for the customer. You can salvage the current situation and turn a dissatisfied customer into a loyal, regular customer.
Word of mouth goes a long way. Unfortunately, customers who have poor experiences are more likely to tell their friends and family. But a negative experience turned positive is a story waiting to be told, too.
Be willing to go above and beyond to show your dedication to excellent customer service.
Our next tip on how to deal with difficult customers is practicing empathy. Using empathy, you can create an emotional connection with unhappy customers by actively listening, validating concerns, and putting yourself in their shoes.
To demonstrate empathy, give customers your full attention, paraphrase their concerns, and acknowledge their feelings. Use phrases like:
Empathy humanizes your brand and helps create customer loyalty. Your efforts to find a solution are more likely to be successful when customers feel cared for. You can show empathy in many ways, such as offering a sincere apology, making personalized recommendations, or going above and beyond to resolve a problem.
Related Read: 6 Retail Checkout Counter Ideas for Higher Sales & Happier Customers
While all the above demonstrates your understanding of the problem, solving it and making the customer feel valued are essential.
Start by apologizing for their negative experience — even if it wasn’t your fault — and taking their concerns seriously. Next, communicate what steps you’ll take to rectify the problem. Here’s where you can really make the customer feel valued. Process their return with minimal fuss and offer store credit or a complimentary item. You’re taking responsibility and making things right.
Related Read: 9 Customer Incentive Ideas To Try in Your Retail Store ASAP
If an immediate solution isn’t feasible, reassure the customer that you’ll get back to them as soon as possible. Ask for their contact information and follow up with them once you’ve investigated their complaint.
Remember, the goal is to turn a negative experience into a positive one.
Nonverbal communication is just as important as the words you use when communicating with difficult customers. Part of actively listening is using your body to convey empathy, understanding, and a willingness to help. Here’s how:
When you’re mindful of your body language, you can help the customer feel at ease and avoid escalating the situation.
The last thing you want is a full-blown argument in front of other customers. The longer customers are upset, the more likely they will try to make themselves heard. Act quickly to address their concerns and find a solution.
Try moving the conversation to a quieter area of the store. This ensures privacy and minimizes the risk of their negative experience influencing other shoppers' perceptions of your business. Avoid loud, angry interactions — don’t create a scene!
Be mindful of other customers. It’s too easy for someone to record a heated exchange on their phone and share it on social media, potentially damaging your store's reputation. Remain calm and professional, even if the customer becomes increasingly agitated.
Learning how to deal with difficult customers is one thing, but preparing for them is just as important.
One of the best ways to prepare your team for handling demanding customers is through role-playing exercises. Through various scenarios and customer complaints, your staff will develop the skills they need to manage difficult customers.
Let your staff practice being on both sides of each situation. They can take turns acting as the problematic customer and the employee. Let them explore various complaints and customer personalities so they can experience a wide range of potential scenarios.
Provide feedback on active listening skills, empathy, body language, and problem-solving strategies. Offer constructive suggestions for improvement and highlight what they are doing well.
You want your team to be prepared and confident in real-life situations. Remember to put a policy in place for handling difficult customers, including the steps employees should take during an interaction and when they should escalate the problem to someone in a management position.
While customer satisfaction is paramount, there may be times when you need to set boundaries and say no. If customers become physically or verbally abusive, you have a duty to step back and protect your team.
Employees should not tolerate harassment, threats, or violence. When customers cross the line, tell them calmly but firmly that their behavior is unacceptable. If necessary, ask them to leave or contact security or law enforcement.
Establish a clear policy for dealing with abusive customers and empower your team to enforce it. Regularly dealing with outrageous customers can result in stress, burnout, and high turnover. Make sure your workers' safety and well-being are a priority.
Dealing with difficult customers is an inevitable part of running a retail business. Still, by implementing the strategies discussed in this post, you can turn challenging interactions into opportunities for growth and success.
Remember to stay calm, listen actively, show empathy, and focus on finding solutions that make your customers feel valued.
At POS Nation, we’re committed to helping small business owners thrive. For more tips on customer service, check out our quick guide: 8 Must-See Tips and Ideas for Retail Customer Service Training.
We also have other resources for small business owners: Point of Sale Resources for Your Small Business. Our guides, testimonials, and videos share the latest business tips, insights, and trends to help grow your store!