Articles
What If The Customer Isn't Right?
by Nicole Arzt Professional Freelancer I recently read this article on alldayPA about providing 24/7 customer service. They provided various examples of what to do if the customer is being difficult and they explained a solid working definition of what good customer service entails.In today's day and age, 24/7 customer service is all but mandatory. We have people sharing and tweeting and hashtagging, running to Yelp or Google for better competition, boosting or tearing apart companies with the swipe of their fingertips on the newest smartphone.
It's a global marketplace, one that is no longer confined to local geography. With e-commerce becoming increasingly more accessible, how we treat customers around the world matters more than ever before.
And, I'm a therapist. I'm not an expert in business or sales, although I understand the working psychology behind them. Marketing, when you break it down, is very simple and strategic. You need to show a person why he or she needs your product or service. You need to target the emotion rather than the logic- that's where people will make decisions oriented towards your business.
With that said, what if the customer isn't right? In fact, I'll take it a step further- what if he or she is defiant, disrespectful, and downright rude- a detriment to your business? Then what?
You Still Need to be Nice
That saying, kill em with kindness? It may sound cliched, but there's some real truth behind it. In customer service, kindness goes leaps and bounds beyond angry reactivity.
Kindness inherently makes you the bigger and wiser person: you own the control of the room. You are calm and collected. No matter how the person is reacting to you, you still won't let him or her control your emotions.
This doesn't mean being a doormat. It means being kind and compassionate, even if the person is cursing you out.
Speak the Truth
If someone in your organization made a mistake, get honest about it. No shame in lying or defending or rationalizing. That's only more fuel for anger.
Don't expect flowers and sunshine after revealing the truth, either. Just because you make a sincere apology and acknowledge your wrongdoing doesn't mean the other person is going to care. But, it's still important for you to do if you value how you portray your customer service.
You can keep your boundaries while still being honest- healthy and assertive communication is vital here!
Let it Be
There are two rules in love and business: you can't please anyone, and the moment you start trying, you start displeasing everyone.
You're not going to satisfy every customer that walks through your door. In fact, you're not even going to come close.
With that in mind, you need to let the challenging ones be. They're not your target audience, anyway!
Sponsor Ads
About Nicole Arzt 
Professional Freelancer
0 connections, 0 recommendations, 9 honor points.Joined APSense since, March 2nd, 2018, From Orange County, United States.
Created on Apr 20th 2018 17:02. Viewed 508 times.
Comments
No comment, be the first to comment.
