Dealing with difficult clients is one unfortunate part of having a business. It’s common for small-business owners to come across clients who make you cringe when you see that they’re calling, drain your energy, criticize everything, and are slow to make payments. Difficult customers exist in every business, for every company, and even though you may want to kick them to the curb some days, you know that it’s better to keep them if you can.
Keep reading if you want to learn how to deal with a difficult client.
8 Ways to Deal With Difficult Clients
1. Choose your words carefully.
Choose your words carefully when handling difficult client conversations. When speaking with a client, your words can sometimes get lost in translation. This can cause unwanted tension between you and your client throughout the project. Instead, try to use simple words and phrases and use the same terms consistently.
It’s also wise to use positive words or phrases that are more effective in conveying a message. Using the wrong words can harm your relationship with your client. For example, you can use positive phrases like “bring clarity” instead of “hash out the details” or saying economical instead of cheaper.
Being more selective with your word choice will help your difficult clients have more trust and confidence in you to lead them in the right direction.
2. Understand your client’s perspective.
Learning to understand your client’s perspective will help you deal with difficult customers in the future. There may be instances when your client says something that is offensive to your field of work, but if you understand that they may have had limited experience with your business, you’ll be less likely to escalate the situation.
You can mentally add “from my limited experience” to the end of clients' statements that offend you. For example, say you're an accountant, and one of your difficult clients tells you that accountants are just glorified calculators. It’s insulting and infuriating, but if you tack on “from my limited experience” to the end of that statement in your head, it helps soften the blow. Perhaps he thinks little of accountants because he doesn’t understand the complexity of a good accountant's work. Try this trick, and it may change your perceptions and makes you more tolerant of the sometimes absurd things that emerge from your difficult clients’ mouths.
If you can acknowledge their position and shift the conversation to the resolution, you may shift away from the ranting and toward a solution for their complaint.
3. Ask clients to be specific.
There are times when difficult clients, even those with legitimate concerns, mostly just want to unload on you—at great length and repeatedly. When you find your client making broad generalizations like “nothing’s working” or “you never finish on time,” then your best bet may be to ask them to be specific. Consider asking them for specific examples of what troubles them and then propose specific, measurable remedies for the problem. Ask them point-blank: “If we solve your problem, does that fix this situation?” Specifics may be your friend when you’re dealing with difficult clients.
4. Acknowledge their complaints.
Acknowledge your client’s complaints to show them you’re willing to support their needs. Restate their issue back to them, so they know you understand the complaint they expressed. I use a whiteboard and jot down the client’s complaints, and as we move through them, if the client starts to rehash what we’ve already settled, I point to the whiteboard and remind them that we’ve solved that problem and we’re moving on.
If you can acknowledge their position and shift the conversation to the resolution, you may shift away from the ranting. After acknowledging their complaint, you can both work toward finding a solution to the issue at hand.
5. Focus on the solution.
Keep your focus on what your client wants you to achieve. If you’re running around dealing with petty details, you may not actually be working toward the end goal. Don’t waste your time treating the symptoms while ignoring the disease. Ask your clients for their feedback regularly as you come to a solution together. This will help the process run smoothly and reduce your time dealing with difficult clients.
6. Set boundaries with your difficult clients.
It’s best to set boundaries when dealing with difficult clients in your business. Things like starting your meetings on time and setting your expectations for client projects will help establish those boundaries. It will show your clients that you respect them and your business by staying in control of how the work flows. If your clients know that showing up late repeatedly is not tolerated, they’ll be less likely to continue to do it. Once you’ve established boundaries, put them in writing. Once you have a legal document, go over the terms with your client to ensure they’re aware of the boundaries you have set.
7. Communicate everything in writing.
It’s best to keep a record of your communication with your clients to avoid any miscommunication or misunderstanding in the future. Be sure to include the day and time the communication occurred for your reference. If you have a phone call or video call with your client, you can email them with a summary of what was discussed that day so that there is a written account of what happened. This way, there will be no discrepancies between the two of you.
8. Part your ways.
Sometimes you’re just going to run into an oil-and-water scenario where you can’t find a way to work with a difficult client. One option is to find another member of your staff to assign to the client. You might ask the client who they’d prefer to handle their account, so they don’t feel slighted but rather realize that you’re providing them with exemplary customer service.
Sometimes continuing to work with difficult clients can cost you time and money. When all else has failed, and when the emotional drain is no longer worth the revenue, it may be best to cut your losses and move on. You get to spend your time working with more productive clients, and one of your competitors may get your irrational client. That’s a win-win.
Dealing with difficult clients in your business can be a headache at times, but you can ease your frustration with the right tools. These eight tactics will hopefully resolve your difficult client situation. If you’re thoughtful with your words, understand your client’s perspective, focus on specifics, and speak your client’s language, you may rarely have to cut a customer loose.
A version of this article was originally published on April 18, 2014.
Photo: Getty Images