Leaders and their teams often find themselves walking a fine line between delivering exceptional service and dealing with disgruntled customers who may not always be in the right. While it’s a fundamental truth that the customer is usually right, what happens when they’re not? Balancing the need to stand your ground and maintain customer goodwill is a skill that every leader should master.
Below, 10 Forbes Business Council members share advice for dealing with unhappy customers when they’re wrong, offering invaluable tips and strategies to help leaders navigate these challenging situations without jeopardizing customer relationships.
1. Be An Assertive Communicator
Firstly, customers are always right. It is their opinion. This is why a good customer representative must be an assertive communicator. Everyone has their own rights and opinions, but they should also be able to see the perspective of others. In this situation, communicate to project into the emotions of the customer assertively and acknowledge their opinion. This will create room for your view to be accepted without alienating customers. – Jennifer Orode, Ingenium Concepts Limited
2. Identify The Cause And Timeline Of The Issue
When you properly identify the cause of the issue and investigate the timeline, it usually clarifies whose fault it is. If the client does not accept their wrongdoing, then you have to reevaluate if the relationship is worth pursuing. If you cannot terminate the relationship on your own, I would switch the person in charge of the account and slowly move away from the client. – Jesse Sasomsup, Earnest Homes
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3. Put Everything In Writing
This is where clearly defined contracts, SLAs and expectations play a big role. Putting things in writing takes assumptions out of the equation. As a leader, while I will always be empathetic and listen to the customer, I would also rely on agreed-upon terms and documentation to stand my ground. When customers know that they have signed the terms, they refrain from making unrealistic requests. – Rashim Mogha, eWOW
4. Find Where The Client Is Right
Find an aspect of the issue where the customer is actually right and say, “You’re right.” It will reduce psychological reactance and encourage the inevitable realization that another aspect of their argument is wrong. It also reduces alienation and saves face. Point to policy and process rather than personalizing the error. And above all, be open and honest. Be sure you’re not at fault. – Nuala Walsh, MindEquity
5. Allow Them To Share Their Frustrations
At the end of the day, people just want to feel like they’re being heard. Giving customers the time and space to share their frustrations lets them know that you are actively working to improve their experience. It’s important to let customers know that their feedback is valuable; even if you can’t give them what they want, it still helps to provide perspective and clarity on the issue at hand. – Arthur Bretschneider, Seniorly, Inc.
6. Remain Objective
What I do is get to the bottom of why they’re feeling the way they are towards my company. I don’t make it personal so that I can objectively handle the situation and get all parties to agree. A leader must be objective in handling disputes between the company and clients. Doing so ensures a positive review, but above that, you can also convert a potential enemy of your company to an ally. – Joseph Kimbrough, Apex Real Estate Investments
7. Politely Reject Certain Clients
When something like this happens, I realize that I don’t want a client like that in my business. We need to understand that it is okay to politely reject certain clients without further escalation. You can acknowledge the issue, let the customer know that “we,” as a company, are not a good fit for their needs and thank them for their business thus far. – Raquel Gomes, Stafi
8. Acknowledge The Grievance
First, acknowledge the grievance. Acknowledgement is not acceptance, but it is a way of assuring the customer that we heard the inconvenience and we value their satisfaction. Instead of putting the other side of the picture straight away, create a ticket and inform the customer that some investigation will happen. This will reduce the heat a bit and give you time to craft a proper response. – Raj Maddula, Global Squirrels
9. Be An Attentive Listener
Even if a customer’s complaint is actually incorrect, it’s essential to first attentively listen to the customer’s opinions and claims. Then, it’s important to express gratitude to the customer for sharing their concerns. Most customers will calm down at this stage. It’s better to apologize for any potential misunderstanding in the service and then provide the correct status of the service. – Karita Takahisa, UNIFY PLATFORM AG
10. Ensure They Feel Heard
I would advise leaders to listen emphatically. Acknowledge the customer’s concerns and calmly provide evidence or solutions to resolve the issue to ensure they feel heard and valued. – Salvador Ordorica, The Spanish Group LLC
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