Dealing With Difficult Customers When You Know They are Dead Wrong

How to Handle Difficult Customers When You KNOW They are Dead Wrong…

Throughout my career as a speaker, consultant, and customer service trainer, I’ve heard a multitude of war stories about challenging customer service situations.

Let’s face it. Many customers challenge and argue with us even when they are dead wrong. Some lie.  Some just love to give people a hard time. Some just want to “try” you. We’ve all experienced these situations in customer service scenarios.

Typical Examples of Difficult Customer Situations – The Customer

-Receives an invoice and throws a fit knowing they agreed to pay overtime or pay to ship and  denies it.

-Say there’s something wrong with a product, when, in fact, they broke it, or tinkered with something themselves and caused it to fail.

-“Stretch the truth” or tell a “white lie” about what their salesperson promised them.

-Wear a dress to a wedding for one night, then return it saying it was never worn.

-Say they talked to someone on the phone or in the store and were told something would be free.

-Say they made a reservation when they didn’t.

-Rents expensive equipment, misuses it, and turns it in in poor condition.

The list of examples could go on and on.

How to Communicate With Customers When They Are Dead Wrong

Each customer service situation is different and each business has its own policies and procedures to handle these things. However, you still need to communicate effectively and in a professional manner.  To assist you in such situations, you can apply the communication techniques below.

First, say, “Okay!” (Say it in an upbeat manner.) This can often diffuse the situation from the get-go.

“John, I reviewed the invoice thoroughly, and it’s correct. Let’s recheck the invoice together and I’ll explain the charges.”

“Perhaps you’re correct. That’s not the information I have.” “You may be correct. If so, I’ll the first person to say so.”

“Mr. Smith, we did tell you for that specific product, it may take about three days for us to ship.”

“Mr. Customer, we sent a letter after your purchase explaining what the warranty covers and what it does not cover. If you will review it, you will find that we were clear about this. Can we review it together?”

“As much as I want you to be a happy customer, and I’d like to about to tell you I can do this for you, I can’t.”

“If the salesman promised that to you, I’ll have to discuss it with him. We have never promised this in the past.”

“Mr. Jones, we’ve been in business for twenty years. We have loyal customers and our business is growing. That’s because we believe in honesty and integrity. We would never ‘rip off’ a customer.”

Dealing With Difficult Customers When You Know They Are Dead Wrong and All Else Fails:

Decide if you should give in a little just to keep the customer. This holds true even when you know from the bottom of your toes that you are right, or when the customer is lying. When you do, the result may be that your blood pressure may go up,  but you have to keep the customer happy to the best of your ability.

Sometimes, you have to decide if you want to stick to your guns and risk the possibility of losing the customer. Sometimes, you have to “fire” a customer because it’s just not worth the hassle. As I said, each situation is different. No one can afford to lose a customer, but you must decide how to proceed. Although you feel like doing this –

You can’t. You shouldn’t. Just deal with it!

Remember Nordstrom’s Two Rules:

1. The customer is always right.
2. When the customer is wrong, refer to Rule #1.

Consider This Quote from My Customer Service Training Program:

“The Customer is Always Right? Wrong!  

                                          The Customer is Still the Customer. There is No Right or Wrong.”

In all difficult customer situations, be sure to maintain your “cool,” and come across professionally. Never sound and brash or get defensive. When you have to communicate with customers who are dead wrong, remember this: Just BREATHE!

Need customized customer service training on Dealing With Difficult Customers and Situations?  It’s one of Christine’s Most Requested Topics. Call (847) 477 7376