In business, not all your customers will be pleasant. In fact, some of your customers may be downright mean, insensitive, or harsh. While this may seem like a headache or a problem, if you are prepared for these types of customers, you might actually make more money or take your business to the next level. It’s all about how you play the hand dealt you.
No one has the right to be abusive to you or your staff. I have dealt with a few of those types, and the sooner they are gone, the better. There is no reason to put up with customers who are abusive or threatening. However, most difficult people are not sociopaths, they are just…difficult. They may be more demanding than the typical customer, or require more hand holding. Some will want everything done yesterday or make round after round of changes. Most difficult people want to be treated as though they are special—the most important person in the universe, or at least in your universe.
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Now you’ve done it. You really messed up this time, and the customer is mad. Or maybe it wasn’t even your fault, but something did not turn out the way it should have. Maybe the customer isn’t angry, but you know that you did not deliver the results you should have.
The other day I got an email with an offer that looked interesting. I clicked on the link and scanned the sales page, looking for the price. It was one of those looooong sales letters, but I found the price, read the terms and decided that the product was worth $9.95, especially with free shipping.