Dealing with Upset or Irate Clients

This week we will discuss how to deal with problems with clients

Every business owner deals with clients that become frustrated, upset, or irate. Even the best run companies run afoul of a client every now and then. Several situations can create the problem: poor service, product flaws or delays, miscommunication, unfilled expectations, and more.

Many times your company did nothing wrong. You just happened to be the next person they talked to after a fight with their spouse or partner. Maybe someone cut them off as they were turning into your parking lot. Perhaps they hate their Internet speed and yours was the site that triggered the response.

What to Do When Clients Get Upset

You cannot anticipate every reason a client becomes upset. You can, however, prepare your staff well for when that moment occurs:

1. Listen to the client and allow them to express their feelings without escalating them
• Be sympathetic (acknowledge feelings) and empathetic (feel concerns)
• Ask questions to confirm that you correctly understand the facts & concerns
• Apologize sincerely when appropriate. but do not assume liability
• Thank the client for bringing the situation to your attention
2. Ask what would satisfy their concern and offer to try (don’t promise) to fix the problem
• Gain agreement and verify you both understand what will resolve the situation
• Record the incident & agreement so that others understand what happened
• Deliver what you agreed to deliver when you said you would
3. Follow-up with the client later to verify the solution satisfied their concern
• Resolve any problems that may still linger
• Express appreciation for their continued patronage
• Offer a simple gift, discount, or other item to express your gratitude

Additional Sources

Thousands of training programs, books, and other materials exist to help you learn how to work with irate clients. I particularly enjoy the following:

Raving Fans by Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles (Talks about Irate clients and so much more)

It’s the Customer Stupid!: 34 Wake-up Calls to Help you Stay Client-focused by Michael Aun and Jeffrey Gitomer

Join me on Thursday when we discuss today’s challenges with client loyalty