Until I opened my own company, I didn’t have much experience dealing with customers who were not happy. Before becoming a business owner I taught school, and before that I had a few odd jobs waiting tables.
Handling an unhappy customer is much different than trying to handle someone who is unhappy with the job that you have done. This is especially personal when you are the owner of the company and you feel as though the job that you are doing is not what the customer initially wanted.
Dealing with customers can be very difficult, especially when they are unhappy with your work and you are doing all that you can possibly do to resolve the issue. At times, problems may arise because the client does not understand what it is that you are doing, or can do, in your situation. They may expect you to be able to do more, or they may not understand the realm of what it is that you can do.
These types of misunderstandings can cause great anxiety, both on your part and on the customer’s part. I have learned through owning my own company that oftentimes when these misunderstandings arise, while it may seem that the client is being difficult to handle, oftentimes they just aren’t aware of what it is I can actually do. So today I thought that I would offer up some tips that may help you as you deal with customers who are unhappy with your services.
First, ask specifically what it is that you need to do to rectify the situation. Oftentimes we misunderstand what it is a customer wants. They may say one thing, but they may not really understand, or know how to explain it. Ask specific questions until you are sure you understand the problem.
Secondly, explain what it is that you can do and what it is that you can’t do. I recently had a request to perform a certain function on a site that I was designing. However, I am not a programmer, and while I can do and put up some functions for a site, I cannot create intricate programming features. The customer did not understand this until I explained it and once I did explain it, and told her what I could create for her, she was satisfied. Until she understood she was unhappy and discouraged.
Thirdly, offer solutions. Don’t say, “I can’t do that.” Instead, tell the customer what you can do. Even though you may not be able to completely fulfill the request the way that the customer wants it fulfilled, chances are you can at least offer up a solution that will work.
Lastly, if you can’t rectify the solution, offer the customer a place to turn instead of just telling them that you cannot fulfill what it is they want done. This way, the customer knows that you are helping as much as you can. Besides, you never know, that client may not be able to use you for what it is they first thought, but they may return in the future if you leave the relationship on good terms.