Dealing with unhappy customers

Dealing with unhappy customers can be challenging but with the right approach you may be able to resolve the situation and improve your overall relationship with them.

Here are five tips for dealing with dissatisfied customers:

Don’t take it personally
When dealing with an unhappy customer, set aside your own feelings and do not take their criticism personally. Remember the customer is displeased with the performance or quality of your product or service, not you.

Listen actively
Listening to your customers’ grievances is crucial. Instead of jumping to conclusions or trying to solve the situation straight away, give the customer a chance to tell their story and vent. Pay close attention to their problem and summarise their compliant when they are finished talking to show you were listening and acknowledge their concerns.

Empathise
Expressing empathy for their problem will go a long way in demonstrating your understanding and care for their issues. Body language is especially important here; maintain eye contact, good posture and keep your arms uncrossed. It is important to apologise for the problem regardless of whether the complaint is legitimate or irrelevant.

Offer a solution
Present your customer with a solution; if they resist your proposed solution ask them what would make them happy instead. In most cases, customers will be happy you have tried to correct the problem.

Follow up
Once the problem has been resolved, follow up over the next few days to ensure they are still happy with the resolution.