The pain of dealing with difficult clients – what could be more frustrating? There are many. But dealing with someone who doesn’t respect your time and energy is terrible enough, costing you both your sanity and your money. So how do you deal with difficult customers and avoid communication difficulties in the first place?
Dealing with Difficult Customers – How to Make Things Easier
Difficult customers are unfortunately not uncommon in any business. This does not mean that a customer is a wrong person. There are many reasons for inconsistent communication with them: different communication styles, personality conflicts, lack of boundaries, and misunderstood expectations.
But whatever the reason, the question remains: How can you help your clients get along when they have a problem?
1. Examine The Problem
Don’t dwell on the situation, especially if your long-term relationship with the customer is. Be genuinely curious and find out why things aren’t working between you. Here are some tips for effective communication
- Acknowledge that something is wrong: The first step to better communication is acknowledging the problem. For example, send an email indicating that you think there is a problem in the partnership and ask the client if they would like to discuss it in a mutually agreeable environment.
- Schedule a phone call or meeting: A personal phone call or face-to-face conversation can eliminate many potential misunderstandings. It allows you to read non-verbal cues such as body language and tone of voice, which can lead to more effective conversations. You can also set a time limit for the conversation so that it doesn’t take too long for your client.
- Make a list of discussion topics and stick to it: Preparation is key to a successful difficult conversation. Emotions can override logic, but having a list of essential points to discuss in front of you will make things more manageable.
- Listen to understand: We all want to be heard, including customers. Even chaotic reactions contain valuable information.
2. Clarify The Situation from The Start
Vague expectations often lead to disappointment. So you and your customer must be on the same page to avoid misunderstandings.
Below are some points to address to set clear expectations from the start.
What you do and do not offer
Make sure the client has a clear understanding of your company profile and scope of services. List your areas of expertise and answer the client’s questions in detail.
For example, not all marketing agencies offer design services. However, if this is not explained, clients may assume they will also provide a design based on their previous experience. This mistake can be easily avoided by defining what your company can and cannot offer.
Accurate and realistic deadlines
It would help if you gave realistic deadlines to avoid clients complaining that your work is late or that you can’t meet deadlines. Explain to the customer what they can expect and when. If you have a complaint, there is a deadline you can refer to. Also, avoid overly optimistic deadlines. This way, deadlines can be met.
What is the pricing?
When it comes to pricing, the magic (and dispute resolution) is in the details. Be as specific as possible about the pricing structure. Discuss payment terms, due dates, late penalties, unpaid invoices, overtime charges, etc. The contract should also include all pricing details so that the client cannot negotiate with you after the job is completed.
3. Set Limits (And Do Not Tolerate Violations)
It’s important to set boundaries when dealing with difficult clients. This way, you can prevent difficult clients from wasting too much of your time and energy and disturbing other clients. Easier said than done. Here are some practical tips.
- Set fixed days and hours of work: it’s not normal to always be rushing around or working overtime. Of course, it is essential to be available for clients, but constant availability is not conducive to healthy boundaries and work-life balance. Therefore, let them know when you will be working and that you will not be available on your own time.
- Agree on communication channels: You have the right not to give your phone number to clients if you don’t want to. It is perfectly acceptable to have business conversations via email. Written communication is also more effective when dealing with difficult customers, as it provides guidance when communication escalates.
- Respect your boundaries: If you respond late to emails or call on holidays, a problematic customer may start to take advantage. Could you not encourage them to do this?
4. Track Your Hours to Be Accountable
Another way to avoid unpleasant situations is to record time spent on complex client tasks and projects. This way, you and the client have a data-based record of the time spent on the job.
You can track projects using a project management tool or a time-tracking application to quickly bill for a recorded time.
With the time tracking feature, you can record your work hours and those of your team members. In addition, this time-tracking tool also allows you to calculate the cost of projects. You can enter your team’s hourly rates, track project hours and get transparent results.
Generating detailed reports when tracking problematic client hours is also helpful. EMS (Employee Monitor Software) allows you to develop, share quickly, and export reports on tracked hours and performance levels to ensure accountability.
Customers Are Hard to Deal With
If you’ve used all the tactics outlined in this article, done your best to communicate reasonably, and tried to understand your customer. Still, you’ve reached a point where nothing seems to be working. It’s time to end the relationship.
Yes, this cannot be easy when the customer has brought significant benefits to your business. But it’s still a business, and someone better will probably be happy to do business with you. And as a business owner, it’s your prerogative to decide who to work with.
Roga Benton is a qualified social media expert at Coding The Line, London. She had graduated from the University of Cambridge.http://homeworldmanagement.co.uk/
