Imagine you are a doctor and a patient has paid you for consultation. Once the patient visits, you notice that the patient has a fractured ankle, however, the patient tells you to prescribe a medicine for the treatment of headache. You tell him that he needs medicine for his broken ankle and the medicine he is asking for is used to treat headaches. But the patient remains persistent that he requires that medicine. What would you do in such a situation?
Being a repair business owner, you’ll often face a similar situation at your repair store, perhaps even worse!
Who is a difficult customer?
Difficult customers are inevitable for any repair shop business because customers expect absolute perfection as they are paying for it. They freak out when they think what you’re offering is not according to their idea.
So for that first of all let’s understand what is a difficult customer and their type based on attitude.
Usually difficult customers are only restricted to angry customers, the ones who are aggressive and fight for no reason and won’t understand no matter whatever you do. But that’s not all, there are other types of difficult customers that can be pretty much nudnik.
The complainer
One is “the complainer”, no matter how many excellent services you have provided them, they complain all the time. They are what is commonly known as a “habitual complainer”. They will shrew about every possible thing and will get on your back all the time. If you are repairing their computer they will be picked pointing out how poor your computer repair shop software is and how you can replace it with something better.
The Confused/Indecisive Customer
Next is “the confused/indecisive customer”, they will ask bazillion questions and keep on inquiring about your shop, tools, repair shop software, services, etc, but when it comes to buying they are the least to make purchases. In short, they are just there to waste your precious time. These people are often polite but drain your energy, hence reducing your productivity.
The Impatient Customer
Then comes “the impatient customer”. He refuses to accept ‘no’ for an answer. Sometimes you don’t have availability of certain products or services, for instance, your repair ticket management software can be down but he would not understand and make a fuss out of it.
The Know-It-All Customer
Lastly, the most audacious one is “the know-it-all”, they insist on knowing everything about your business better than you do. Such customers are stubborn and will tell you to do certain things their way which in many instances is wrong. They are often rude and dominant during the conversation.
You cannot elude such customers just because they are rude, it will only result in your decreased sales. So, how do you deal when a difficult customer comes into your repair shop?
Let me guide you with a few tactics to get a grip on such customers.
Talk to Them Privately
The first and foremost thing is to take them to a room or private place and talk to them in a low voice. Don’t make it your office room, take them to the lunch area or conference room. It has two reasons: first is that you do not want other people to listen negatively about your business especially your customers because they might be in the shop. Second, you will make the difficult customer realize how respectful you are towards him.
However, do not do this if you feel he can do any physical damage to you or your office.
Have a Positive Attitude
Somebody is yelling at you inches away and I am telling you to have a positive attitude towards the situation. Am I gone nuts? Let me assure you, absolutely not!
Remember that the customer is not technically mad at you, they are mad about the service and the situation they are in. While dealing with them maintain your professional attitude and do not let frustration push you down on their level. Such customers sense that then and there and take negative advantage of this trait to get ahead of you.
To avoid this, choose your words wisely, stay calm, and do not follow them. For instance, if they are being abusive and rude, act as if you haven’t heard it and provide them with logic and reasoning to address their problem. This will pacify the situation and the difficult customer will know that you are the boss here and know what’s going on.
Hear Them Out
Instead of indulging in a fight, hear out what the customer is actually saying, he might have a valid point too. Heed to what he is saying uninterrupted even if you know it already and he is not right. After that, empathize with him so that he is comfortable that you and he are on the same page and there is no need for him to panic. He will know that you understand his situation and calm down for dialogue right away.
Protip: Try to address the customers with their full name, it will create a sense of personalization and value for them, calming them down.
Develop a thick skin and don’t take these difficult customers personally because there might be a chance that they were having a bad day and the little mess in their repair device has got them.
Give Possible Solutions
After you have calmed them down, it’s time to present answers to their concerns. Not all the difficult customers are rude, some are perplexed and genuinely want a solution. First of all, admit the mistakes sincerely that occurred from your end then rectify them, if that’s not possible, provide an alternative solution.
In particular, your employees might be having some problems using computer repair shop software and their repair is affected because of it. Take ownership of it and assure that it would not reoccur as you mean it. But again don’t over-promise them, only commit to what you can deliver.
Act Instantly
After the commitment, fulfill your promise as soon as possible so that they know you are true to your words and mistakes are a part of life. They will forget that bitter experience even more quickly and chances are they will tend to buy from you more, turning into loyal customers.
If you have committed to calling him, then call him right away!
Must Compensate
A proven technique to make customers eat from your hand is to compensate them. It’s just like when you go to a restaurant and the chef has slightly underdone your steak, you give it back to be cooked properly. They not only serve you new food but also weave some amount off from the bill, this is compensation.
The same goes for repair shops as well. If you have messed up a repair then you can compensate the customer with some discount, gift card, or any gift such as accessories. Of course, you cannot make up for the time but he will be satisfied that he is not compromised because difficult customers also need love.
So whether your computer repair shop software has gone down or one of your employees messed it up, it creates difficult customers and should be attended to in most cases.
Next time a difficult customer comes in, try these tricks and let me know if they worked or not.
