The Sunday Mail
All customers are crucial to any organisation’s lifeline.
All organisations have a mixed bag of customers, from the nastiest to the nicest but the power is in being able to retain them all and get referrals. Retention is only possible if there is excellent customer service and customer satisfaction.
Taking good care of customers is not just work for one department but it is for everyone. Also, excellence in customer service is a more of a will than a skill, therefore, management should never malnourish the egos of the organisation’s representatives but rather drive them.
We all have bad days in the kitchen but what differentiates us from the rest is the way in which we handle situations. The biting economic challenges are causing everyone all sorts of frustrations. Sadly, some customers do not know where to vent their frustrations and may take them to unsuspecting customer service employees.
Thus, for those representatives that have direct interactions with customers they must always be on their guard when faced with the customers with challenging attitudes. Even if the customers have the attitude or behaviour that is good or nasty, organisations will still desire to get business at all costs from them. That is why it is important to know how to manage these customers.
This week we look at the last three of the five types of the customers.
The suspicious customer
These are customers with trust issues and do not take things at face value. This maybe as a result of their past experiences or they could have been duped in certain circumstances. However, it is advisable not to take the trust issues personally, but rather deal with the matter at hand.
Managing the suspicious customer: Assert the organisation’s credibility and experience. If there are any awards or accolades given to the organisation or its representatives it must be mentioned so that the customer may read through the organisation’s reputation. Other reputable companies that do business with your organisation must be emphasised so that you build on their trust
Exhibit your product or service knowledge: Organisation’s representatives need to understand the nature of their business as this will help them provide best customer service. Frequently asked questions by customers must be known by any representative and the answers to these questions must be at their fingertips too.
Be careful with your choice of words: Be professional as possible when talking to a suspicious customer. Your choice of words are reflective of the kind of service one will get.
Be polite and friendly: A warm greeting and smile bring happiness and can make customers comfortable enough to express their true feelings towards a service.
The angry customer
This type of customer is naturally rude and sometimes use abusive language including swearing. (S)he may have unsolved personal issues and end up venting on anyone that may come their way for no apparent reason.
Managing an angry customer
Listen carefully before interrupting them: Customers will never let a representative win an argument, thus, it is polite to remain quiet and listen to their concerns without interrupting. That way it avoids a situation where an employee end up arguing with a customer. Apologise gracefully, especially if the mistake was caused by the organisation as a whole.
Do not take it personally or get upset: Seek support if you are scared, cannot agree on a solution or if the customer asks to see someone with a higher office than yours.
Smile and be nice to them: Smiling helps voices to convey friendliness, even if it means faking that smile. It makes the angry customer calm down. Use diplomacy in your response such as “I appreciate your concern and would really love to help you but your language is getting in the way” or “I understand you are frustrated but can you calm down so that we can solve this issue amicably”.
Empathise in a broad way: Stay calm and remain polite. Put yourself in their position and role play, this will give you the best way to handle them. In other words know the type of customer you are dealing with and the way they want to be served, for instance some want it straight to the point while others want pleasantry exchanges first.
Do not escalate the problem by interrupting, being defensive or blame others: In some cases the customer may be wrong so instead of getting upset and defending yourself, focus on providing them with a solution, or rather propose an action plan and follow up on it.
The know-it-all customer
This type of customer is also known as the mistaken customer. The customer pretends to be experts in each and every topic thrown on the table. They tend to lack self-awareness in recognising their shortcomings. These customers have inflated egos and are very argumentative.
Managing a know-it-all customer
Acknowledge what they say and make them feel like you are their ally. This is because they are easily angered by the truth that they are wrong.
Compliment them on their research: Ask them for their input when solving their problem, this will make them feel mighty.
Be very generous with praise: Never try to put them in their place as this might come off as high and mighty.
Do not try to be smart: Rather listen to their rants attentively
You may ask that customer questions: Use the responses to improve on your knowledge about that particular subject nature. In some cases their response may actually help an organisation to make known the areas that it should improve.
Knowledge is power. Organisations that know their customers are empowered to serve them better. Personalities may differ but the ultimate goal for any organisation is to catch them all and be the preferred service provider for eternity.
Cresencia Marjorie Chiremba, is a marketing enthusiast with a strong passion for customer service. For comments and suggestions she can be reached on [email protected] or on 0712 979 461
