Dealing With Difficult Customers Question:
With the busy Christmas season fast approaching, how can I ensure that irate customers don’t rattle my staff in a detrimental way?
Negative attitudes and behaviours are usually expressed when our customers are stressed out or they just don’t have the energy to use better communication skills, judgment, and manners.
Being stressed out is chronic in today’s challenging times, and may be especially prominent during the upcoming busy holiday season.
We often have too much to do, too many decisions to make, and are usually running behind schedule.
Dealing With Difficult Customers
Dealing with difficult customers can make our staff feel grouchy, out-of-control, and can rattle them to the point where they may quit.
It takes a lot of energy to be positive, to keep things in perspective, and to actively fend off this toxic effect. As their leader and employer there are several steps that you can take to ensure that your staff can effectively handle the best and the worst in these customers.
Dealing With Difficult Customers:
Beverly’s Tips To Reducing The Impact Of Negative Attitudes and Ensuring A Healthy Happy Staff: Dealing With Difficult People
1. Discuss the types of customers that you may encounter ahead of time.
What are some of the common complaints that your staff may face? Share past experiences and horror stories with each other and prepare answers and solutions ahead of time. Preparation allows your staff to feel more confident in dealing with these difficult customers, and not absorb their negativity.
2. Teach your staff how to keep their composure, be assertive, and know exactly what it is they want to communicate.
Help them to get comfortable with those customers who need to vent and express themselves – however, assure them that they do not need to tolerate abuse.
3. Help your customer to feel more in control.
Start with your body language. Have you ever been in a hurry and talked without looking directly at the other person? What message does that convey? Talk to your staff about the importance of facing the person, making eye contact and being in the moment. Treat each person as if they are all that matters and help them to problem solve their difficulties. Remind your staff that it is hard to be difficult with someone who makes them feel special.
4. Take a walk.
What does the atmosphere convey? Is it comfortable, peaceful, and engaging, or is it chaotic, noisy, and crowded? Though the “extras” may seem unnecessary in accomplishing the business of the day, to decrease the incidence of difficult behaviours and negative attitudes make your workplace a visual, auditory, and aromatic haven in the customer’s hectic day.
5. Dealing with difficult customers requires extra energy and focus.
It is essential that your staff take care of themselves. Ensure that they are taking frequent and adequate breaks. Encourage them to eat properly to control mood swings and to feel more energetic, and to cut out caffeine, which heightens our responses and makes us more sensitive to those around us. Help them to lighten up and to have fun. Create an environment that your staff wants to return to – not one that they are dreading or a place where they are just putting in time.
When Dealing With Difficult Customers Is Import To Reduce Negativity
As their leader, you play a very important role in preventing customer negativity from rattling your staff. Empower your staff by helping them to problem solve various scenarios, provide a calming and respectful environment for your customer and your staff, encourage healthy practices, and develop a sense of fun. By using these simple tips, you may be able to diminish the difficult behaviours presented by your customers and reduce the toxic impact on your staff.
Contact Beverly about hosting a workshop for your team in dealing with difficult people. Learn to nail down strategies to encourage a calm and happy working environment!
If you have some strategies to share – comment on this posting!
Additional Postings:
Dealing With Difficult Employees
How To Handle A Difficult Boss
Stop Letting That Difficult Person Ruin Your Day
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