Clients are human beings and let’s be truthful sometimes clients don’t play nice. They don’t always communicate well and sometimes they make assumptions, expect you to do things outside your agreement, don’t pay on time, snap at you, criticize, complain, wheedle and (occasionally) not thank you.
If you’ve taken the actions mentioned in our previous blog posts such as “Build a Loyal Client Base Today” and “Today’s Ways to Find and Land New Clients” to attract top-drawer customers who are an ideal fit for your personality and business, these will be minimal. But we’re all human. Sometimes service providers make mistakes too. Sometimes clients don’t play nice.
When a client complains, it is stressful and disappointing.
Here’s what to do to turn negative reactions into opportunities for growth and for improving communication.
1.
Separate the delivery from the message.
In other words, if a client is yelling over the phone don’t become instantly antagonistic or crushed. Instead, let him yell till his first breath, then repeat his complaint back to him, to make sure you understand what he is upset about.
Sometimes not reacting to the yelling but, instead, focusing on his problem is all that needs to be done to get an irate client to calm down.
Sometimes it doesn’t work. Sometimes the client goes on yelling. When that happens, remember this: No one has the right to subject you to abuse. And yelling is an abusive, dominating tactic.
Here’s what to do if someone continues to shout at you, or calls you names.
Say (if you can get a word in edge ways): “You’re obviously very angry and I’d love to see what we can do to solve the problem, but right now, you are swearing and being abusive and I don’t tolerate that – at home or anywhere else – so I’m going to hang up now. Please call me back when you can talk to me calmly, so we can resolve this problem.”
It probably won’t run as smoothly as that. You’ll be interrupted and possible shouted at some more. The key is to out wait the abuser. Wait till you get a chance to speak, and simply continue with what you wish to say.
(DO NOT RESPOND to each point he throws at you during interruptions – he’s trying his best to engage you in a demeaning, losing argument.)
Once you’ve finally got this out, hang up if he is still shouting, swearing or being abusive in any way.
(DO NOT hang up without:
- Warning him you are going to do so
- Telling him why
- Telling him he is welcome to call back when calmer; and that you’d like to focus on fixing the problem.
Simply hanging up may be the only thing you can do for self-preservation, but be sure you understand that hanging up without warning will most likely constitute firing your client.)
2.
Apologizing to clients
One of the best things you can do if a client is angry or complains about something that is your fault: Accept responsibility and apologize immediately.
Keep it simple – along the lines of: “I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you when the revision would be ready. I’ll make sure I do so in future.”
Don’t explain if an explanation isn’t asked for. And if you find yourself saying: “I’m sorry, but…” take a good, hard look at yourself. “But” usually precedes excuses. And making excuses is not accepting responsibility for your actions.
As writer Terry Pratchett once said: “Ultimately, there is the freedom to take the consequences.”
3.
When never to apologize to a client
The only exception when clients don’t play nice: Don’t try to apologize (even if you are in the wrong) while a client is shouting or being abusive in any way.
First point out the behaviour, inform the client you want to resolve the situation but that he is being abusive. Tell him you don’t tolerate abusive language and that you will be happy to discuss it when he is calmer.
Tell him you are going to hang up. Then quietly hang up.
There’s a reason for not apologizing at this time: Telling the client you are sorry while he is in full abusive spate will 99% of the time only make him heap on more abuse and grow more angry – you’re literally fanning the flames.
Focus on the more serious issue of the abusive behaviour first, and don’t apologize until that has been dealt with and resolved.
If he hasn’t called you back within the morning or afternoon this incident occurs in, call back and do your best to resolve the issue.
Most of the time the client will not shout or swear again even if he remains angry or sulky; and you can quickly resolve things by accepting responsibility, apologizing at that time, and focusing on what to do to solve the problem: And to make sure it never occurs again.
4.
Dealing with Nasty Emails When Clients Don’t Play Nice
Even though getting the email version of the abusive phone call is upsetting, it does remove the confrontational aspect from the issue. But you are likely to experience a host of not just emotions, but also physical reactions, when you read a torrent of abuse.
Don’t react. Deal with the problem later in the morning or day, when you have recovered from any feelings of distress or shock and physical reactions have disappeared.
Then re-read the email objectively and pick out the client’s main complaints. (Some people find that printing it out and highlighting only relevant phrases helps distance them from abusive language and reactive emotions.)
Then solve the problem and send the corrected product; or email your client back, accepting responsibility in a matter-of-fact way and offering a solution.
When clients don’t play nice, keep all emotional phrases and language out of your response. Remain focused on the problem.
But by all means conclude with something like the following: “By the way, I do not accept abusive language from anyone. If you use obscenities at me again, I will have to terminate our arrangement.”
5.
Making the Big Decision When Clients Don’t Play Nice
Once the problem is solved, and the client has either thanked you for fixing it or reverted to his normal manner, you need to face the issue of whether or not to continue with someone who is abusive. (And we’re not talking about clients who say “I was really unhappy with the last transcription”: We’re talking about clients who call you names or sling epithets at you like “stupid” or “moronic”.)
When clients don’t play nice, do you cut them loose or keep them?
There’s no wrong or right answer: Only you know the client’s background and personality. Only you know what triggers you to anxious paralysis or rolls off you like water off a duck’s back.
The bottom line for when clients don’t play nice, whatever you choose to do regarding keeping the client or cutting them lose – never accept abusive language or behaviour.
You owe it to your self-respect. (If you don’t respect yourself, your client certainly won’t.)
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