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Original poster

WWYD - how to handle difficult customers

63 replies

supersop60 · 07/05/2018 09:41

My DD has recently (6 weeks) started a new job in a retail DIY type store. She's really enjoying it, except that she's had no real training in how to deal with difficult/complaining customers. Does anyone have any useful suggestions? (and please, not 'Did you mean to be so rude?')

OP posts:
Lonesurvivor · 07/05/2018 09:42

Kill them with kindness, the fake sweet sort. It drives them mad but leaves them with nowhere to go.

MrsLaurac · 07/05/2018 09:43

Oh yes kill them with the over the top sweet kindness

ScattyCharly · 07/05/2018 09:43

Agree kill them with kindness.
Don’t know where these people come from or who brings them up. Why are there so many nasty people about Confused

wibblywobblyfish · 07/05/2018 09:46

I find if you just let them say their piece they eventually run out of steam and you can then fix whatever is wrong.

Queenio24 · 07/05/2018 09:46

Use kind of an apology and try to be super helpful.... oh I'm so sorry you don't like our xxxx, oh I'm very sorry about that, can I help you in any other way?
The company should be providing her with training for this.

Original poster
supersop60 · 07/05/2018 09:47

Thank you - that's my thought too. My most used phrase is 'What would you like me to do?' It takes the wind out of their sails. One of the customers brought back a pair of shears - no receipt, no packaging, complaining that they were stiff - and demonstrated that in front of my DD's face (she's only 5ft). She had to step backwards to avoid them!

OP posts:
corythatwas · 07/05/2018 09:51

Another voice for fake sweetness. She's not going to change them anyway, and any display of anger is going to hurt her more.

Dd who worked in a coffee shop had the following scale of rudeness among customers:

most polite of all: children from the nearby council estate
(used to come in and ask for a glass of water, which was perhaps cheeky, but were very well-mannered)

second most polite: local Asian community

third most polite: university students

rude: mother and toddler groups

ruder still: male middle-age lecturers (this was near a university)

absolutely bottom-of-the-heap-rude: teachers from the local secondary
(used to barge in and expect to be served ahead of other customers, spoke to staff as if they were teenagers in detention)

Fatted · 07/05/2018 09:53

I deal with difficult people all day, but thankfully on the phone not face to face. I think it's something I've got better at dealing with with age and grown in confidence. I'd say just be polite. Don't accept rudeness or people being impolite. Some of them you can kill with kindness, others just come on looking for a fight. It's about having the confidence to know what you're telling people is right and accepting that unfortunately you can't please everyone all the time. Also don't take them being difficult personally. It's the situation they're not happy with, not the person.

I try to empathise with people, 'I understand you're upset blah blah blah' 'I'm trying to help you'. It's slightly different because I am in life and death situations so I do have to be abrupt without being rude to get what I need from people.

I used to work in homebase on Sundays when I was at uni so I know what the customer's can be like. We used to have them queueing up outside trying to get in at 9am on a Sunday when the place didn't open till 11!

SecretIsland · 07/05/2018 10:03

I can't be doing with killing them with kindness any more tbh.

My customers get back what they give. I can ignore low level abruptness or irritation...no problem. But the actual idiots that shout or refuse to accept a reasonable answer get stonewalled. The ones that take it too far and abuse or make it personal get forwarded to the customer exits department by me which is fairly satisfying.

In your dd's position though killing them with kindness is probably the way to go.

Justanothernameonthepage · 07/05/2018 10:07

Compliment them (doesn't work if they've already built up a head of steam). Even if nothing obviously comes to mind like a 'oh I like your bag' a 'you obviously know your what you're doing but this particular one is a bit tricky' can work wonders.

StrawberrySquash · 07/05/2018 10:14

But don't give fake compliments. People can tell and they will only be wound up.

Failingat40 · 07/05/2018 10:17

One of the customers brought back a pair of shears - no receipt, no packaging, complaining that they were stiff

An excellent opportunity to up-sell the customer some WD40 or lubricant oil to ease the problem with the shears!? Wink

A good defusing technique is to let the customer rant and get it all out (within reason) listen, while nodding and smiling before asking what they'd like to happen now.

Some cases though should be escalated to the store manager though, especially when they have no proof of purchase and staff are unsure if the item could have come from elsewhere.

viques · 07/05/2018 10:18

If she has only just started and has not had training then passing moaners on to senior colleagues or managers is the answer.

PaintedHorizons · 07/05/2018 10:19

It erally depends on why they are being difficult. I am a difficult customer sometimes. We all can be.

Listen to them. Do they have a point? Is there anythign you can do to help them - either to solve theor problem or to make them feel a bit better about the problem? Treat them like a human being.

I recenlty had a problem with my mobile phone provider. I had been billed for £200 worth of calls that were not mine. I got nowhere with Live Chat or two of the three people I spoke to who just blindly repeated "I'm sorry you were surpised by the bill but it says here that you made those calls"

Finally, as I got angrier I got through to Sharon who actually listened!!!

Of course it was common sense that I didn't make eight hours worth of calls to the same number each call precisely 2 hours long and starting at 43 minutes past the hour throughout a single night to a number I only ever call for three to ten minutes,

She listened and didn't just give me a script. The "kill with kindness" route is dismissive, patronising and does not usually work if the customer has a genuine grievance.

Rude people - we cannot do much about - but your DD should ask her employer about training.

Pengggwn · 07/05/2018 10:21

Just go with the rules. If you can refund them, do it. If not, say you can't. If they kick up a stink, suggest they contact a manager or Head Office.

araiwa · 07/05/2018 10:22

Get good and confident at your job

Its easier to deal with difficult customers from a position of knowledge and being able to say what you can and cant do

Avasarala · 07/05/2018 10:23

She has to always keep in mind that these aren't friends, and they aren't some strangers being rude on public transport or something.
When she is at work, she represents the company - so she cannot be rude or snide. Just stick to facts; if they are not entitled to a refund or whatever, then she can apologise but stick to the factual reasons of why not. Don't engage in anything beyond that and don't rise to any insults. Just repeat the facts and offer to get a senior staff member if they are still unhappy.

It's also a good idea for her to read the sales of goods act so she actually knows the law on refunds. It's the most irritating thing in a shop when they say "you can't return that" when legally, you can. I ordered something on line once but my printer broke so I couldn't print out the confirmation, so I took my bank statement showing the payment. That counts as proof of payment - no receipt is actually needed. They refused to refund me. I bought a new printer and printed out the list if what counts as proof, and also contacted their head office who confirmed she was wrong . But it is really annoying when a sales assistant doesn't know what they are talking about.

NewYearNewMe18 · 07/05/2018 10:24

How to deal with rude customer?

Smile "would you like the manager, I'll just call him/her"

LetTheRiverRun · 07/05/2018 10:25

As others have said kill them with kindness. If someone yells or swears etc I always used to respond “I understand your frustration but I am trying to help you” if they didn’t shut up after that I used to let them rant, nod along to show I was listening and wait for them to stop talking before responding. Never yell back, never swear and you will always have the moral high ground

elderflowerandrose · 07/05/2018 10:27

I would not say 'what do you want me to do?'

It makes you sound sarcastic and arsey.

It is always important to reassure the customer that you will do everything you can to resolve the issue. Listen and then do what she can to fix it. Genuine customer service is all about being calm, wanting the customer to be happy and wanting to repair the problem. Be open to a solution from the customer, listen carefully (making notes if need be) and a can do attitude will take her everywhere in life.

If it is DIY then it is likely to be things that don't work, so she needs to have the refund procedures crystal clear in her mind.

DontDribbleOnTheCarpet · 07/05/2018 10:29

Politeness is absolutely the way to go. Prepare a few phrases like "I'm sorry that you're having problems with..." and "I can see how that would really annoy you...". Don't be afraid to say "Please don't shout at me" or "Please don't wave those shears so close to my face" though. If a customer is very aggressive, don't be afraid to call security/someone senior.
It's usually helpful to ask what more experienced members of staff do in difficult situations too. If Mr Jones is a pain to you, he might also have done the same to someone else and they might know the best way to deal with him.

Dog1981 · 07/05/2018 10:33

I used to work in a call centre, quite often would have rude customers, most would be upset about the company, but knew it was not my fault and would understand I was trying to help them.
I had this one customer who was exceptionally rude, I was trying to help but he was being rude to me personally, I just replied with politeness, thank you sir etc, I think he wanted a fight.
It got his back up at first, but I just carried on with being polite and eventually it broke him and he returned to a normal person and we resolved whatever his issue was.

Mookatron · 07/05/2018 10:34

I agree with let them say their piece. I also agree with 'what would you like me to do?' - it doesn't have to be sarcastic, it can really mean it. Sometimes it's dead easy to do what they want you to do and then it's a win win. If not you can 'check with your manager' or something and it gives you time to think up an approach (or actually check with your manager!).

PenguinRoar · 07/05/2018 10:35

Second most of this.

My steps usually are:

Acknowledge their problem, repeat it back to them to show you've understood.

Ask what resolution they would like

If you can fulfill their refund request and it's reasonable, and it fits Company policy, then do it. Better to have someone out in the world saying what great customer service they had than someone moaning.

If you can't fix their problem, get a manager.

But, before all of this - the company should provide some training on their policies, customer care approaches and limits of authority.

It's a shitty business who puts an untrained member of staff out in front of the public without support and training.

eggcellent · 07/05/2018 10:40

I worked at KFC and absolutely think that being super nice is the best way to cope with awful customers. They want you to be rude back so they have more to complain about! Don't give them the satisfaction.