This is an article I sent couple of months ago to my sales department, and I want to share it with you.

Several of the problems that can face a business are because of the customers, who suddenly, assume attitudes that put the company in difficult situations. All wish the same: a good treatment and service, but from time to time we ran into with which they demand a special treatment. To know how to handle these complaints it can help to that the work is easier and to turn insatisfechos clients profitable "prospectos".

Four types of difficult customers exist, here we give to the characteristics of each one and some advice you to know how to treat them.

1. The angry customer
One appears in your business with two objectives: to transmit how the facts happened and to express their feelings, other people's to the problem in most of the occasions.

You do not put yourself to the defensive. Once present this attitude, is so that you already became jumbled emotionally.

Go beyond the anger. Often, the client lets see his frustration because they do not express with clarity the real problem? you have to keep focus on the objective.

Avoid situations that can be irritables. Most of the times you can avoid the things that bother them (delayed deliveries, defects in products, bad service).

Do not promise impossible things. Do let the client to push you during the discussion and borders to promise things to you that you will not be able to fulfill.

Special Pon attention in which it can say. In several occasions, in the eagerness to want to give a guessed right answer to the client, some commentaries can be misinterpreted, generating greater distrust and annoyance.

Negotiate a solution. It is not difficult if you make yourself a simple question: ?How he would like to solve this problem?. Of this form the negotiation is simplified.

Give follow up. To find a solution to the problem does not mean that by that same fact the conflict has been solved, gives follow up until your customer is satisfied.


2. Un-friendly customer

They usually walk with greatness airs, pumped chest and the noise pointing to the sky. When entering a business they assure they will not find what they're looking for.

This type of clients is logical, nonintuitive, oriented to obtain results. In order to make decisions one is based on facts and proven experiences reason why frequently it needs the proposals in writing. (Keep an eye on this and take note)

It demands knowledge perfectly. All the personnel must know the product or service that offers.

Tell him about success situations. Explain to your client the benefits obtained with other costumers, this will give a solid image of your business.

You must show your ability to solve the problems and your power of action. Demonstrate that you have the knowledge and the experience to satisfy his necessities.


3. The discussion-lover customer

Fanatic of discussions and with each speaking-battle apparently enlarges his ego, lives in the ambivalence since, any thing that you say to him, he will look for the opposite answer immediately.

By nature he is aggressive and surely he will not reach an agreement with you. Each phrase that you communicate to him will go accompanied of NO, so you do not allow yourself to fall in this trap.

He is direct, does not need the details, only the benefits or what must know before making a decision from purchase, reason why it does not interest to him use the telephone for commentaries without importance.

Make a contract. Specify there payment dates and payment terms, also the conditions in which you will provide him the services or products. A copy must be given to him and all the details that you consider are important before the complaints come.

Do not contradict. Better is listening which are his necessities before beginning to offer any product or service.

Get tons of patience. This type of clients almost never will agree with you, so that's why you must be tolerant; relax and listen. Possibly he has a bad temperament, but it can mean a good opportunity of business too.

Keep the businesses atmosphere. To these clients it concerns the appearance, reason why to treat delicate subjects in informal places could consider like an impoliteness or little formality of your part.

4. Timid/Modest Client

In appearance he is innocent. In truth he represents a headache with the passage of time, since he is going to occupy much of his appraised time in listening to all histories of his life including familiar problems and the government in your country!

One of its characteristics is that at the time of buying surely also it will use you to be relieved, when giving too much time to this clients will prevent you to take care of others. When this happens, try to understand the person and l'inciter a aller as soon as possible!

You must be comprehensive, but let him know that it is necessary that you continue taking care of the other people.

Use the human touch. All we can contribute to make a negotiation more placid. In this case you will have to add a little empathy, of this form the client will feel that a good service is occurring him.

Doubts? Question? Ask constantly if everything is ok while more information you offer him, your client will feel satisfied.

Show interest by the commentaries he makes and use them like example to demonstrate to the effectiveness of your product or service, in order that the client feels accepted and identified with you. Do rapport!
thier

Each person has a different world on the head. Customers will always be different and they will always exist the conflictive one, the one that does not listens, distrustful and the unfaithful one.

* From the Manager's Side, How to Provide Support

Managers must decide on a case-by-case basis when to step in and take over for the associate. They should always intervene if the customer is not merely difficult, but abusive. It's important that the manager handle the situation in a way that does not make the associate appear incompetent, while explaining to the customer that the associate has been following companies policies.


GOOD THING: if you handle it correctly, you'll still get some profit. Don't ya think?

Replying to [essex_jay]:

Customers are only difficult if you let them!

Replying to [coach]: Sure if trader solve their problem and help to show right way there is no problem.

Replying to [MikePTY-HK]:

Most of the customers you will get to deal with in business looks like difficult but as matter of fact they have not a single percent of interest neither in your business nor your products. Then why waste time on such customers and spend that valuable time to those prospective customers who might become your long-time customers in future.

Replying to [Liela]:
I don't deal much with China, but all proposals I receive are perfect. Very good in details, accurate in numbers and so on. This is worth the wait, because it is customized for my company and my needs and usually contain everything detailed so no questions are left open and the deal can be closed.

My Personal Experience - not random:
I think this has also to do with the Chinese culture. Patience is an important value. I have been to China several times for Martial Arts Training and my instructors defined patience completly new for me (till that time I thought I WAS patient...). The more patient I was, the better my results (Sport and business)-

There's no such thing as a differcult customer, its' either they want to do business or not. Theres' always someone willing to do business. So wish me .

Replying to [discredited1]:also there's something called working for a proper solution to find the customer's problem with a instinct to buy.,,

Replying to [Noorani International]: yes, and you will probably have a long correspondence with some nice guys who do not order anything, while you had discarded somebody for being "difficult" but wanted to give you a deal of many bucks? How you dare to afford being discriminative with your customers? You live on their money, do not forget it.

Replying to [MikePTY-HK]:

The behavior you mentioned is not "Difficult" customers.

But I think difficult customers are potentials customers I like difficult customers because they interested in long term business.

Dear [MikePTY-HK]:

Customers are seem difficult, because they ask many questions, and they want the answers. Some suppliers are staff with people without much technical knowledge about their own product, and that's what pisses them off.

If they are not interested, they would not have even care about communicating with you. There is a 20-80 rule to every business; this means 20% of the customers are giving 80% of the business and the 80% of the customers giving 20%.

Both of these customers are equally important for the business, because the 80% customers have short turnover time, and they are usually the CASH COWS.

Some people have certain likings for others, that's is PR Chemistry. Some people like to talk to a female voice over the phone, and this is more so for the male customers. Your company should have a team of Sales People with different body chemistry to deal with particular category of customer.

There is a proverb that goes like this:  "Some like it hot, some like it cold, and some like it in the pot seven days old."

  Street Smart

Replying to [Street Smart]:
Hi guays, based on my personal experience I can say that my best and oldest customers were difficult customers before. After dealing several times, and reaching many good agreemnts they became more nice.

The relation you build since the first moment gives them the final impresion, so that's why, even you get a very difficult person remember always to find a way to gain confidence. The rest will be good bussines.