Handling difficult or complaining customers isn't always easy. Most business people understand the importance of successful customer handling in theory, yet actually putting it into practice consistently in their company is often another matter. Using some of the best tips for customer handling can help a business stay service-focused.
Responding to complaints quickly is crucial so that customers feel the company cares about serving them. Also, the longer it takes for a business to follow through on a customer's complaint, the more likely it is for the person to become even more dissatisfied. Customers want to know that they matter and that their complaints will be dealt with in a reasonable amount of time. Always following through is one of the best tips for customer handling, because it makes it easier to make sure good service is replacing any previously bad experiences.
Admitting and apologizing for mistakes to customers rather than denying the problem is one of the most important customer handling tips. Merely citing company policy or otherwise acting in defense of the company rather than trying to be fair is often taken by customers as covering up mistakes or making excuses. A simple, but honest acknowledgment of the error and a short, genuine apology usually satisfies a complaining customer. Of course, adjusting the customer's account, such as by adding a note on the file so other employees know what happened, is a good idea to help avoid problems occurring again.
Regularly doing surveys either by telephone or leaving cards in a store to be filled out can be a good tactic in customer handling. When people take the time to voice their feelings about a company, either positive or negative, they often provide information that can greatly help a business better understand its customer base. One of the easiest tips in pleasing and retaining clients is for businesses to always listen to the voice of the customer.
In the case of difficult customers, such as those creating a scene yelling in the store, it's often best for employees to get the supervisor or manager to deal with the situation. Oftentimes, customers who are making a fuss are angry with the service they received and end up demanding to speak with a manager anyway. Difficult customer handling should involve calming the person down while also looking for a solution to the problem.
