Can retailers provide quality service to customers even if they encounter bad tempers? Well, the answer to this is in the affirmative. Surely, retailers can keep their calm by utilizing a few tips and techniques on how to deal with difficult customers. Although dealing with difficult customers can be a daunting task, but by implementing certain useful ways, this challenging and discouraging task can become motivating and persuading. Therefore, with a positive attitude, the right state of mind and appropriate actions, retailers can effectively handle difficult and problematic retail customer situations.
Follow the below-mentioned tips on how to deal with difficult customers. Consequently, retailers can turn their unpleasant customer experiences into chances and opportunities to enhance the company’s name and improve their business. We sincerely hope by the end of this article, retailers and their staff will be able to deal with difficult retail customers successfully and in a constructive manner.
Listen
Listen to what customers have to say to you. Do not argue with the customers or reply aggressively and abruptly even if they seem impolite and angry, for example, stay calm and silent even if customers do not have the right information. Listen to them and hence try to build a link with them during this period by agreeing to what they are saying.
Empathize with them
Incase customers seem angry over something related to the store or their purchase, empathize with them. Show them that you feel for them. Further, understand their situation and deal with them accordingly. Above all, if the customer’s issue is identified, it becomes easy for the retailers and the staff to know the situation they are in. Consequently, it shall help you calm down the customers.
Speak slowly and in a lower voice
There might be such situations in which retail customers get really loud. Therefore in such situations, respond slowly by lowering your voice and remaining calm. Consequently, your calmness and optimistic demeanor will have a positive impact on customers. As a result, it shall help relax and tranquilize the aggressive and ill-tempered retail customers. That is to say, the anger will subside if you tackle situations with a calm and clear mind and get unaffected by the customer’s anger and rude behavior.
Be aware of the Surroundings
People behave well when they are aware that others are watching them. Therefore, keep in mind and hence act in a way that other customers are also watching you and your interactions with the aggressive and outspoken customer. Therefore, it shall make you more vigilant, aware and careful as to how to deal with difficult customers and how to respond to such customers. Moreover, it teaches you to be polite and nice to them even when they are not. This will enable you to be satisfied that you have done your best to attend to their worries in a convincing manner.
Do not Spend Excessive Time
Although be nice and polite as much as you can to your customers, but be sure to draw limits and know when your time is being wasted. If satisfying customers seems to be daunting and time-consuming, it is best to fulfill their legitimate demands to keep them away from interfering in your dealings with other potential retail customers. Therefore, try to attend to your more productive customers and do not waste time.
Do not take things personally
Ensure that you do not get personal even if the customer does. Although it is difficult to remain composed in situations when another person lashes out at you, still hold your nerves and hence remain composed. In other words, the staff should know that the customer is venting out their anger on the company and that they are just its representative. Remain gentle and take the conversation back to the issue and hence towards providing solutions. In short, avoid personal comments because it will not cause you any harm and shall only escalate the situation if you respond in the same manner.
Conclusion
Through continuous practice and implementation, retailers and their staff will be well versed in the art of handling customers. Consequently, it becomes the second nature of the customer service representatives because they become habitual in dealing with various retail customers.
However, there is no one hard and fast rule on how to deal with difficult customers, but what company representatives can do is to not just please them verbally but also emphasize on the non-verbal cues. Body language plays an effective role in convincing customers that the store representatives are listening to them and are willing to resolve their issues. Laurie Guest, Customer Service Expert rightly states that,
“Nodding, eye contact, and note taking are all excellent modes of silent communication. Most importantly, keep quiet. If you interrupt, the person will assume you are not listening and often feel the need to start over again. Patiently listen to the whole story.”
To sum up, all customers are not easy to deal with. That is to say, customers can be really tough and aggressive at times. However, it comes under a retailer’s obligation to deal with such customers amicably. The art to deal with difficult and cranky customers is to win and pacify such customers even when you really want to give them a hard time .POS could be an edge in dealing