The 180, Turning Difficult Customers Into Your Biggest Allies.

It is never easy helping with difficult customers. However, if we handle each difficult situation correctly, we can turn difficult customers into our biggest allies. 

Great customer service will enhance your reputation and develop brand loyalty. Bad customer service will impact your brand’s reputation. Other words, if you want brand loyalty, your business needs good customer service. 

Below are 3 ways to turn difficult customers into your biggest allies. 

Listen with empathy

Listening to your customers with empathy will not only solve the client’s own situation, it will also help your business to boost business outcomes. 

A frustrated customer is one that is most likely to have been inconvenienced, the customer has likely lost time and money, therefore it is correct that they need to be heard. A solution should only be offered once the customer service team has listened to a full explanation of the issue and then show genuine empathy for the customer’s frustration. By doing this, the customer will feel more than a buyer, but a person whose time and opinions count.

If this is done effectively, the feedback given to you can be used to further improve your services. If your business can collect the data from all your customer feedback, you will be able to provide a solution to your customer’s problems, boost your business outcomes, increase your operation efficiency and you can turnaround the customer by working with them to improve your service model. 

Go the extra mile    

Sometimes, you just cannot provide a solution to a problem, but you may be able to find a way to make it up to the customer. Most customers will notice the effort you have made in order to help them. This experience will help you to convert a frustrated customer into your key ally.

Much like listening with empathy, your actions will make your customer feel that they are more than just a buyer. If you are able to solve their problem, will you be flexible enough to offer them something more than they asked for? If you are unable to fix their problem, will you be able to make it up to them with something else that is also of value to them?

We hope you will not have too many unhappy people to convert. However, when you do convert unhappy customers into happy ones, not only will your repeat business improve, you may also start to find you will get more referrals.  

With social media, one converted customer will have the power to amplify your brand to thousands of people. We all know how important third party endorsement is.  

Take responsibility and don’t ignore bad news

Staying with social media, an unhappy customer may also have the power to amplify negative feedback to thousands of people. The reality is that negative comments spread quicker than positive ones. 

If the negative feedback goes viral, it is very difficult to stop. They stay online forever. 

Even if the comments are not true, or the problems raised were not your company’s fault, it is important to take responsibility for them. After all, as far as the customer is concerned, it is all your fault. 

It is really important to get your business out there to show the world empathy and your company’s willingness to go the extra mile for your customers. 

If you convert an angry mob on social media, you will not only gain the benefits mentioned above, you will also build a positive reputation for your brand. 

Take away

Difficult customers are part and parcel of any business. When dealing with difficult customers, remember these three things:

• A difficult customer is an opportunity for you to help someone
• How much does your brand reputation mean to you
• How can you turn a difficult situation into an opportunity

After all, are we not all in the business to seek opportunities in solving problems and helping people?