Your business has a great marketing plan, excellent products, and a strong connection with your audience. When a difficult customer comes along with complaints or negative comments, it can feel like they’re throwing a wrench into all of your hard work and progress.
It’s natural to feel frustrated. But what if you could see difficult customers as an asset to your business?
They present a challenge and if you can meet and overcome that challenge, your business will be stronger for it.
Here are the reasons why difficult customers are an asset to your business.
1. Difficult Customers Are Honest
Most customers stop buying from you and leave without telling you why. When you have a customer contacting you with complaints or issues, they’re bringing these things to light and letting you know. They may be drawing your attention to something you need to improve.
Difficult customers provide you with valuable insight. They deliver important feedback that you can use to not only improve customer satisfaction, but also enhance communications, marketing, and product development.
2. Whatever Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Stronger
Dealing with an unhappy customer is hard, but it’s a challenge that will only make your business better. No matter how great your products and services are, it’s inevitable that you’ll experience dissatisfied customers. Dealing with them is a skill every business needs to master.
It will allow you to create a process and protocols that leave customers satisfied and you, and your staff, empowered.
3. An Angry Customer Is a Valuable Opportunity
Sometimes the most troublesome customers turn into our biggest brand advocates. Your instinct is to make them disappear so they don’t cause you trouble. But if you can turn things around and exceed their expectations, you can win them over. Overdeliver and blow them away, and they’ll go on to sing your praises to others.
4. Difficult Customers Put Things in Perspective
One benefit of difficult customers is that they help you realize how nice your other customers are! They show you what an unhappy customer looks like so you can identify them in the future. With better appreciation for your regular customers, you can find new ways to offer even better service to them.
5. Show You Care
A difficult customer is a great opportunity to show them, and others, how much you care. If someone complains publicly or leaves a negative comment that others can see, this can be scary for a business. But it gives you a chance to publicly reply and demonstrate that you value your customers, which is great for your branding.
How to Deal with Angry Customers
Whenever you have an angry customer, respond to them quickly. Be professional and patient. Focus on listening and making sure you understand the nature of the problem first before you offer a solution. Try to turn this challenging encounter into an opportunity.
What about you? Have you had to deal with angry customers? What are your best tips? Leave a comment below.
