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It’s happened, huh? That thing you dreaded happening when you started your business .. it’s happened. You’ve got a client or customer that’s unhappy with you and you’re left wondering how to deal with an upset customer.
The good news is that it is entirely possible to turn this client relationship around, and we have 5 steps for you to help do just that. The other good news? Every experience in business is a learning experience. So while we’re going to cover how to deal with an upset customer, we’re also going to share how you can prevent upset customers in the future.
When it comes to dealing with a customer who’s actively upset, the goal is usually to turn things around so that you can finish the project and (hopefully) get a great review out of it.
The most important thing to remember as you’re dealing with an upset client is to stay calm. This will help de-escalate the tension, and also help the customer to feel heard. When we’re upset, that’s truly what we’re looking for, so if you can provide an experience where you stay calm and show that you’re actively listening, that will go a long way toward repairing the relationship.
Take the time to assure the customer that you’re attentive to their concerns - you may want to offer to hop on a call with them, but you’ll also want to make sure that you’re asking clarifying questions and also using active listening techniques.
A great active listening technique to use is paraphrasing. When the client lets you know their concerns, you can then respond with “I’m understanding that your concerns are XYZ. Is there anything else I’m missing?” This allows the customer to know that you are paying attention and also are committed to understanding whatexactlythey’re upset about.
As you are actively listening, you’ll also want to make sure that you are empathizing and validating the feelings of the customer. You don’t necessarily need to agree with what they’re saying, but using some of the following phrases will help them feel heard.
“I understand how frustrating [issue] must be for you.”
“I hear you, and I want to help resolve this.”
“It sounds like [issue] has caused you a lot of stress.”
“I’m truly sorry you’re experiencing [problem].”
“Let’s work together to find the best way to resolve this.”
Again, you don’t have to necessarily agree with them to be able to empathize with the way they are feeling, but successfully moving past the issuewill require empathy on your part.
Just like with empathy, you never want to underestimate the power of a sincere and genuine apology. Most of the time when we hurt someone else, we haven’t intentionally done so. Taking the time to apologize sincerely is an important part of moving forward together.
As you apologize it’s important that you take responsibility for your actions and the harm done, as well as express regret for what has happened.
Once you’ve heard the upset customer out and you’ve sincerely apologized, it’s time to move on from acknowledging the issue at hand and begin presenting solutions for resolving the issue.
When it comes to solutions, you want to make sure that you’re not only providing multiple options for the customer to choose from, but you also want to ensure that the customer does get to choose. It’s important to involve them in finding a resolution, as you both need to be happy with the resolution in order to repair the working relationship.
Once you’ve completed the agreed-upon solution, you’ll want to be sure to follow up. First, follow up and acknowledge the completion of the solution.
Then, you’ll want to follow up again after the customer has had time to take in the resolution itself. At that point, it’s time to check in and ensure that the issue has been resolved satisfactorily, and also get feedback on the resolution process. This helps to showcase strong proactive communication, and it also helps you get a gauge of where the customer stands post-resolution.
Once you’ve taken care of this customer and turned things around, you’ll want to make sure you do all you can to keep this same thing from happening again. How? First, by understanding the main reasons customers tend to become upset in the first place.
The biggest and most common reason for an upset customer is pure and simple: communication breakdowns. This could mean that the two of you simply miscommunicated with each other, that they were unclear on what they were getting, or that you were unresponsive with your communication.
To make sure that there aren’t any communication breakdowns, you want to first ensure that you are timely with your responses AND that you are proactively communicating. Meaning that you don’t simply wait for the client to ask you how things are going, but that you are keeping them up to date on where the project stands.
You also want to make sure that all of your communication is concise and clear. Don’t overexplain things. In theory, this seems like a great idea because you are covering all of your bases. But in actuality, it just leaves your customers more confused than clear.
A second common issue that causes upset clients is unmet expectations. Unmet expectations can come from communication breakdowns (for example, if a client believes your package includes something it doesn’t due to lack of clear communication), or they can come from missed deadlines, incomplete service, quality issues, or unfulfilled promises.
When a customer has a certain expectation in mind (even if it isn’t the correct expectation), when that expectation is not met, they’re naturally going to become upset and frustrated. This is all the more reason to ensure that you are clear and concisely communicating with clients.
While the MOST common reasons you’ll end up with an upset customer have to do with a lack of clarity around your offer, there are those customers who become upset because of something you’ve done.
This can include poor customer service (although a lack of clear communication boundaries can lead to a customer feeling like the customer service wasn’t up to par), and a product or service that wasn’t the quality they were expecting. Other issues customers may have can deal with rude behavior, long wait times, unhelpful responses, defects, malfunctions, and inefficiencies with your work.
The best way to improve in these areas? You guessed it. Clear and concise communication.
Are you seeing a common denominator here? While yes, you need to fulfill your end of the contract, the MOST common reason for an upset customer is communication that wasn’t clear. This lack of clarity leads to unmet expectations, and other communication breakdowns, which leads to a customer that feels slighted and uncared for.
The easiest way to prevent upset customers is by ensuring that your communication is clear and that expectations are clear as well. And the best way to do that? Have a contract in place that covers all of your bases AND is not full of legalese.
This is what we specialize in here at The Contract Shop®, BTW 😉
If you want to make sure you’re covering your bases with a strong contract, you’ll find these blog posts helpful:
How Do You Write a Contract for Beginners?
6 Things You Didn’t Know You Could Put in Your Contract
Payment Terms Every Contract Needs If You Want to Get Paid
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