How to Deal With Distressed Clients

By JC Serrano

Working in the California legal industry, I've had to deal with many distressed clients over the years. If you run a business, you probably have dealt with upset customers as well. There are many reasons why customers get upset, but if the situation has been handled poorly and escalates, the consequences could end up hurting your company.

So how do you avoid further upsetting distressed clients? Let me share a few ways I have learned to deal with people through the years.

How to deal with distressed clients

1. Get on the same page

Any business owner, manager, or employee can share endless stories about difficult customers. In most of these stories, the customers are unreasonable, stubborn, or misinformed. Some of their requests are impossible, irrelevant, or hard to understand, causing a long, tense back-and-forth between the customer and the company representative.

However, I've noticed that most "difficult" customers act the way they do because they're not getting what they need. When this happens, it would be better to pause and try to understand where the person is coming from. If you can get on the same page, you can solve the issue quicker. In addition, knowing the specific problem gives you a definitive goal, even if the customer starts bringing up other things out of frustration.

Let's say a customer's frustration is not about the product, but about the delivery, and you keep addressing issues concerning the product. You are not solving the customer's problem. Therefore, it's important to clarify that you fully understand what they are saying. For example, you could offer a summary of their concerns, and then ask if you got it right. This will show you're actively listening and clear up any misunderstandings more quickly.

2. Don't keep them waiting

Keeping a customer waiting is a direct line to a bad customer experience. No matter what industry you're in, a long wait causes nothing but impatience and frustration.

Even if a customer is willing to wait a long time, an absurdly long response time is still not good. They might be willing to wait now, but they won't trust you to respond to more urgent concerns. And it may come up in their reviews about you.

Make sure that you streamline the process of customer transactions. Divide work, hire more employees, and use management tools to keep things moving quickly and smoothly. You don't want to end up with any oversights, like a forgotten request or an unhappy customer who isn't gotten an update for days.

If the nature of the transaction is going to take a long time, the customer needs to be made aware of what's going on. Explain to them what you're doing so that they can adjust their expectations and know that you're doing your best, despite the lengthy process. This is why restaurants will ask patrons if they're okay waiting for certain dishes. Customers should know when to expect something.

3. Thank them

Customers are giving you their time and effort when they make a call, wait for a response, send an email, or show up at your store location. Acknowledging the effort they put into transacting or bringing an issue to your attention is an excellent way to show that you care about what they have to say.

Unfortunately, customers don't always believe you care about them and their concerns. They know you may be getting several calls and inquiries at a time, so they're not always optimistic that they will get the help they need, and may feel like they need to assert themselves or be defensive.

If you acknowledge the effort that people put into bringing concerns to you, no matter how big or small the concern might be, it is less likely they will feel they need to prove themselves worthy of your time. They also will be more open about their needs and trust you to address them.

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4. Apologize when you can

Unfortunately, even when you have done everything right, it's not guaranteed that every customer will have a stellar experience. Remember, when a customer complains or is in distress, it's because they believe you've made a mistake. In most cases, refusing to admit that mistake fuels that frustration, justified or not.

One of the best ways to diffuse tension is to apologize. Assuming some accountability shows that you value your customers' opinions and needs. It also should reduce any tense energy and get a customer to a point where they'll be more willing to listen to your side of the story.

If a customer has already written a bad review about you, in some cases, they may be willing to edit and change the rating if you take responsibility and address the mistake. This also makes you more credible, as it shows you're willing to offer solutions, even when you're the one who's at fault.

Furthermore, apologizing is simply the best way to show empathy. It shows you aren't trivializing customers' concerns and are willing to help them.

5. Educate your customers

Sometimes distressed clients will come to you not knowing what they need. For example, they may insist that they need a specific product or service even though they should be purchasing something else. In our case, some clients will inquire about filing lawsuits, but don't know whether they have grounds to do so.

As a result, you must educate your customers about your niche, company, or product, which will make it easier to propose and negotiate possible solutions and products. If a customer doesn't understand something, take the time to explain and answer questions, and only then should you propose a solution to their problems.

In addition, clients and customers who make educated decisions about their purchases will be less likely to complain, get frustrated, or be confused.

This is why having informative content about your business is important. You could start a blog, send out an email newsletter, or create an FAQ page for your website. Potential customers can look at your content and become better educated about your products and related transactions. If someone doesn't understand how to use your product, you could also send them a link to a blog post that discusses everything they need to know about how the product works.

Clients and customers are the lifeblood of any business

You could have the best products, technology, marketing strategies, and employees, but your company isn't going to take off without a steady stream of new and returning customers. The more your customers trust you, the more likely they will return, write stellar reviews about your business, and recommend you to friends and family.

Although distressed clients already feel like a precursor to a bad customer experience, there are plenty of ways you can diffuse potential conflicts before they occur.

RELATED: 12 Ways You Can Use Great Service to Keep Customers Coming Back