CCSM- 111

HA NDLING TRICKY
CUSTOM ERS
Workb ook
LEA RNING
GOA LS
Sum m a rize the d ifferent

1 fa c tors tha t c a n c rea te

d iffic ult c ustom er
situa tions.

2
Rec og nize the m ost
c om m on typ es of
ha rd - to- ha nd le c ustom er.

Und ersta nd a nd a p p ly the

3 a p p rop ria te m itig a tion

tec hniq ues for ea c h
situa tion enc ountered .

Ap p ly a p ositive m ind set

4 to turn neg a tive situa tions

into p ositive lea rning
exp erienc es.

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TA BLE OF
CONTENTS
TOPIC PAGE
WHAT MAKES A TRICKY CUSTOMER? 5

HANDLING CUSTOMERS 6

HANDLING ANGRY CUSTOMERS 7

HANDLING DEMANDING CUSTOMERS 8

NEEDY CUSTOMERS 9

UNREASONABLE CUSTOMERS 10

BULLIES 11

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Cu st om ers m a y forg et w h a t y ou sa id , b u t t h ey ?ll
n ev er forg et h ow y ou m a d e t h em feel.

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 W HA T M A KES A
TRICKY CUSTOM ER?

Even the b est c om p a nies ha ve to d ea l with tric ky c ustom ers.

It's im p orta nt to p a use a nd think a b out why the c ustom er is
a c ting in this wa y.

Exp ec t a t ion Ba d Person a lit y Ext ern a l

Miss Exp erien c e Circ u m st a n c es

W h a t a re t h e m ost c om m on t y p es of 't ric k y c u st om er'

sit u a t ion s t h a t y ou exp erien c e in y ou r role?

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 HA NDLING
CUSTOM ERS
- Resist your na tura l instinc t to
p ut up d efenses.
- Ad d ress the situa tion with a c ool
hea d a nd a system a tic
a p p roa c h.
- Tric ky c ustom ers c om e in
d ifferent sha p es a nd sizes.

Desc rib e a n u n c om fort a b le sit u a t ion

t h a t y ou 'v e fou n d y ou rself in w it h a
c u st om er rec en t ly . Ela b ora t e on w h y
y ou felt u n c om fort a b le?

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 HA NDLING A NGRY
CUSTOM ERS
Your softwa re ha s b een d own for 20 m inutes, rig ht a t
the b usiest p a rt of m y d a y. I?ve ha d c ustom ers
lea ving m y store b ec a use they c ould n?t c hec k out.
I?m furious. You?re tota lly ruining m y rep uta tion.

- Lea rn to love c om p la ints.

- These ?sq uea ky wheels?often hig hlig ht issues tha t
a re im p a c ting other c ustom ers too.
- Ta ke a c onsid ered a p p roa c h.

THE 8 KEYS TO HANDLING ANGRY CUSTOMERS

1 Listen to their c om p la int.

5 Own.

2 De- esc a la te.

6 Ag ree a c tions.

3 Ap olog ize.
7 Rec a p in writing .

4 Em p a thize.
8 Follow throug h.

How d oes y ou r ow n p la y b ook c om p a re t o t h e on e sh ow n h ere?

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 HA NDLING
DEM A NDING
CUSTOM ERS
Rem em b er not only to sa y the rig ht thing a t the rig ht
p la c e, b ut fa r m ore d iffic ult still, to lea ve unsa id the
wrong thing a t the tem p ting m om ent.?

THERE ARE THREE TYPES OF DEMANDING CUSTOMERS

1 Need y

2 Unrea sona b le

3 Bullies

Usu a lly t h e b est a p p roa c h is t o b rin g t h em c loser t o

y ou r d ec ision m a k in g , ra t h er t h a n p u t u p w a lls.

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 NEEDY
CUSTOM ERS
I?m find ing this new fea ture too c onfusing . Your
sup p ort d oc um enta tion is not c lea r. I?ve used m a ny
p rod uc ts b efore b ut this one is wa y m ore
c om p lic a ted . Ca n you g ive m e a nother c a ll to wa lk
m e throug h a g a in?

Rem em b er they a re p rob a b ly feeling

1 out of their d ep th.

2 Reset exp ec ta tions.

If nec essa ry, use d a ta to hig hlig ht tha t

3 they seem to b e strug g ling .

Exp la in tha t a t som e p oint it m ig ht b e

4 b est for them to invest in tra ining .

Som etim es, it?s b est just to m a ke the

5 b est of a n a nnoying situa tion.

How d oes y ou r ow n p la y b ook c om p a re t o

t h e on e sh ow n h ere?

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 UNREA SONA BLE
CUSTOM ERS
I know you?re d oing your b est b ut rig ht now it?s not
enoug h. I would like m y CSM to c a ll m e every
m orning a t 9a m to up d a te m e on p rog ress with
fixing this b ug . If it g oes b eyond a week, I exp ec t
c om p ensa tion.?

1 Listen to their req uest.

2 Rep ea t it b a c k to them .

Exp la in why you?d like to b e

3 a b le to help them .

4 Exp la in why you c a n?t.

5 Offer a c om p rom ise.

6 Sta nd firm .

How d oes y ou r ow n p la y b ook c om p a re t o

t h e on e sh ow n h ere?

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 BULLIES
I?ve never exp erienc ed suc h a b unc h of
inc om p etent m orons in m y life. Every p erson I sp ea k
to tells m e a d ifferent lie. Just g et m e wha t I need or
I?m g oing to p ost m y op inions on a ll the review sites
I c a n find .?

1 Ra ise your own intensity level.

2 Ca ll the c ustom ers b luff.

3 Don't b e a fra id to end the c onversa tion.

4 Ask for sup p ort from your b oss.

How d oes y ou r ow n p la y b ook c om p a re t o

t h e on e sh ow n h ere?

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