Are You Struggling with Unhappy or Difficult Clients?
With any B2C business, service or industry, one thing always remains to be true. Client experience is incredibly important!
That is the main purpose of a B2C business, after all, is serving the customer. Not only do you want to provide a product or service that is helpful to the customer, but you must also keep in mind that word of mouth is a very powerful thing. If enough customers or clients have a poor experience with your business, chances are that word may spread. And quickly.
If you’re struggling with unhappy or difficult clients, we want you to know that it’s not the end of the road! There are many things that can be done to salvage, strengthen and grow the relationship once more. Not only will this help to boost client retention, but it will also prove to them that your business is willing to take accountability, grow and work to create a lasting relationship.
Signs of an Unhappy Client
To get us started, let’s first take a look at the tell-tale signs of an unhappy client.
They have:
Submitted a formal complaint with your business
Complained on social media
Left an unfavourable review
Stopped purchasing your products or services
Shown signs of frustration, confusion or upset
There are many instances that can leave a client feeling frustrated or upset. Whether they have had a negative experience or received a defective product, the little things can quickly become big things that cost you your clients, if not resolved swiftly and properly.
Address Internal Issues
The first thing that you should do is identify and address any internal issues. The poor experiences that your clients are receiving could be due to a lack of training on a certain process or system, areas that aren’t being properly cleaned or maintained, or simply bad customer service.
Once your internal issues have been identified and addressed, you will likely see a quick turnaround in how clients are responding to your products and/or services.
Show Empathy and Understanding
As you navigate through the relationship with an unhappy client, it’s imperative that you show both empathy and understanding. Even if the customer is in the wrong, showing signs of hostility, combativeness or overly defending your business may come across the wrong way.
Not only that, the client may not feel that you are really listening to them. This can leave them feeling like their feelings aren’t being heard and validated.
By providing the client with empathy and understanding, they are more likely to feel heard and understood, which is the first step toward repairing your relationship.
Communicate and Listen
Healthy communication and active listening is key when it comes to any sort of conflict resolution. Not only that, but also maintaining a lasting and genuine relationship!
Just because your client has some feedback doesn’t mean that they are necessarily unhappy. It just means that they have something that they would like to share with you about their experience, which might be something you can address before their next session!
In the case that you are navigating conflict resolution, listening to their concerns is very important. Once you have a better understanding of the problem they are experiencing, it will be much easier for you to communicate with them. Whether it be an explanation that helps to clear things up or an action plan to improve their next experience!
Genuinely Apologize
There is always room for an apology.
Whether it be an apology on behalf of yourself, your team or simply the fact that they had a poor experience. It’s also important to remember that an apology doesn’t always mean that you are at fault or in the wrong. Sometimes an apology can be used as a way to diffuse the situation and allow the client to feel heard and validated.
Of course, you should never give an apology that isn’t genuine. Each apology should be given with the idea that there will be an action plan behind it. Meaning that in some way or another, you plan to address what happened and make a rectification.
Commit to Fast Responses and Solutions
With conflict resolution, time is always of the essence!
If a client has shown signs of frustration, left negative feedback or encountered an issue with a member of your staff, it must be addressed immediately. The longer a situation has been left to stew, the more likely it is that lines will be blurred.
Not only that, but they may not feel important or that their needs are being met.
Once you have responded to the situation, it’s also important that you follow up with a solution geared toward success. This may mean that your staff undergo customer service training, your space is cleaned more frequently or simply that more time is dedicated to future appointments.
How to Handle Negative Online Feedback
Receiving negative feedback in person is one thing. But negative feedback and reviews online are something quite different.
The reputation of your business stands to take quite a hit if a negative review or issue isn’t handled appropriately and in a timely manner.
Here are some general tips to help you navigate online feedback:
Always respond to your reviews and feedback, no matter how negative they may be. This shows that you care about what your clients have to say, whether it’s a great experience or a poor one.
Take time to create a variety of responses that you or your team can use to respond. These responses should greet the client directly by their name, maintain a positive and empathetic tone, and suggest an action plan. For instance, you may encourage the client to reach out to your business directly to further discuss the issue and find a resolution. This response is going to look much better and more professional for your business than simply ignoring the comment altogether.
Consider training for yourself and your staff for reputation management and engaging on social media. The Internet is forever, what you say and how you say it can have a significant and lasting impact on your business.
Well, there you have it! Your ultimate guide to navigating conflict with unhappy or difficult clients. It’s important to note that no two situations are the same and resolution may not always be linear. It also might not turn out the way you expect or want.
But the most important thing is that you are always looking to grow and address these issues head on!
