Handling difficult clients is a part of business, but a few tips may help turn the headache into profit.
Dealing with difficult clients is one unfortunate part of having a business. It’s common for small-business owners to come across clients who make you cringe when you see that they’re calling, drain your energy, criticize everything, and are slow to make payments. Difficult customers exist in every business, for every company, and even though you may want to kick them to the curb some days, you know that it’s better to keep them if you can.
Dealing with a demanding, unreasonable client can be stressful for even the most patient customer service rep or account manager. High-maintenance individuals require extra time and energy to work with, putting a strain on the relationship.
Left unmanaged, difficult clients can become huge headaches – but they don’t have to. With the right skills and tactics, you can turn challenging customer relationships around, and even make them enjoyable.
This comprehensive guide will explore how to skillfully handle troublesome clients by
- Understanding root causes of difficult behavior
- Setting clear expectations
- Responding professionally
- Reframing issues
- Offering win-win solutions
- Setting boundaries
- Knowing when to walk away
Follow these tips to become adept at dealing with client challenges in a constructive manner.
Common Causes of Client Difficulties
To handle troublesome customers well, start by understanding potential root causes of the difficult behavior:
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They lack understanding – Confusion about processes or unclear expectations leads to frustration,
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They feel empowered – Some clients gain a sense of power or importance from being demanding.
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They’re compensating – Those who feel insecure may act superior to mask self-doubt.
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They want special treatment – Clients may push for exceptions to be made for them.
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They had a bad experience – Past negative interactions with your company or others in your industry colors their view.
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They have unrealistic standards – Some clients have unreasonable expectations that can never be met.
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They have communication challenges – Inability to communicate needs calmly and clearly drives problematic behaviors.
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They are under high stress – External stress factors may cause customers to act abrasive or impatient.
When you understand where client difficulties stem from, you can better address the root cause.
Set Clear Expectations from the Start
Proactively setting clear expectations helps avoid confusion down the road. Be explicit about:
- Exactly what your company will and will not provide.
- Timelines involved at each stage.
- Your policies around communication, requests, changes, etc.
Make sure clients understand required steps on their end and potential consequences for lack of follow-through.
Leave no room for assumptions by spelling everything out. You’ll head off many issues caused by misunderstanding.
Build Empathy for the Client’s Experience
When clients seem unreasonable, make an effort to understand their perspective. Ask yourself:
- Why might they feel frustrated or slighted in this scenario?
- How would I react if I was in their shoes?
- What external factors or past experiences might be influencing their response?
Building empathy, even for difficult personalities, allows you to communicate in a way that acknowledges their viewpoint and de-escalates tension.
Respond Promptly to Requests
One common trigger for difficult behavior is unresponsiveness. Always respond promptly, even if the answer is “no” or “need more time.”
Radio silence will get interpreted negatively. Provide quick confirmation that you received their communication and will address it by X date.
Ask for Clarification and Specifics
Vague complaints or demands allow misunderstandings to grow. Ask for clarification right away:
- Can you help me understand more specifically what the concern is?
- What exactly would you like me to address for you?
- How can I best assist with this?
Pinpoint the heart of the issue, then determine if requests are realistic. Specifics also help prevent scope creep down the line.
Vent Your Frustrations Elsewhere
Being a sounding board for rants and tirades can be maddening. Set the expectation upfront that you’ll need to continue the conversation when things calm down.
Venting privately to a colleague helps you release irritation before re-engaging professionally.
Get Details in Writing
When clients make changes or questionable requests, ask them to put it in writing for documentation. This ensures accountability and prevents backpedaling later.
Putting thoughts down formally also gives clients pause to reconsider unreasonable demands.
Offer Win-Win Solutions
When faced with a complaint, defuse tensions by presenting a solution that benefits both parties. This refocuses the energy into resolution.
Demonstrate that you’re invested in a positive outcome, not just dismissing their concerns. Compromise when feasible.
Set Healthy Boundaries
Don’t allow abusive language, yelling or disrespect. State calmly that you want to help resolve issues, but will need to continue the discussion at another time if hostility persists.
Draw clear lines defining reasonable versus unacceptable behavior. Enforce them firmly but politely.
Know When to Walk Away
In rare cases, you may need to terminate a toxic relationship altogether. After reasonable efforts to make it work, cutting ties may be the only option.
Look at the big picture costs of keeping a harmful client versus firing them. Stick to your boundaries.
Additional Tips for Managing Difficult Clients:
- Don’t take difficult behavior personally
- Address issues early before they escalate
- Meet face-to-face when possible to improve understanding
- Focus on shared goals and desired outcomes
- Be a caring but assertive advocate for your policies
- Avoid getting defensive or lashing out in response to provocation
- Frame solutions around improving efficiency or communication
- Seek advice from colleagues who handled similar clients well
- Anticipate and plan for challenging interactions
- When all else fails, let clients vent, then circle back
With the right mindset and strategic approach, even the most challenging clients can become cooperative. Set the tone through empathetic yet firm communication and commitment to mutual success. Meeting fiery personalities with calm professionalism defuses tension. Choose engaging over reacting.
Handling difficult clients comes with the territory in any service-focused business. But with willingness to understand their perspective, proactive expectations setting, and consistent enforcement of boundaries, you can turn adversaries into allies. Patience and compassion go a long way. Know when to hold fast to your principles, and when to make judicious compromises.
No one ever said working with the public was easy. But going the extra mile to transform prickly client relationships ultimately makes everyone’s job easier…including yours! Make it a rewarding personal challenge rather than a frustration. With finesse and practice, you’ll soon master the art of managing even the most difficult customers.
Set boundaries with your difficult clients.
It’s best to set boundaries when dealing with difficult clients in your business. Things like starting your meetings on time and setting your expectations for client projects will help establish those boundaries. It will show your clients that you respect them and your business by staying in control of how the work flows. If your clients know that showing up late repeatedly is not tolerated, they’ll be less likely to continue to do it. Once you’ve established boundaries, put them in writing. Once you have a legal document, go over the terms with your client to ensure they’re aware of the boundaries you have set.
Ask clients to be specific.
There are times when difficult clients, even those with legitimate concerns, mostly just want to unload on you—at great length and repeatedly. When you find your client making broad generalizations like “nothing’s working” or “you never finish on time,” then your best bet may be to ask them to be specific. Consider asking them for specific examples of what troubles them and then propose specific, measurable remedies for the problem. Ask them point-blank: “If we solve your problem, does that fix this situation?” Specifics may be your friend when you’re dealing with difficult clients.
10 Tips for Dealing with Difficult Clients
Are your clients ‘difficult’?
Here’s the truth: some clients are going to be difficult no matter what you do. But many difficult client relationships can be avoided by getting on the same page from the get-go—and that means setting clear expectations from day one.
How do I deal with difficult clients?
Here are the steps you can take to deal with difficult clients: 1. Remain calm Regardless of how your difficult clients behave, it’s important to remain calm at all times. Your ability to remain calm will be a positive example to others and strengthen your own reputation.
Why is dealing with difficult clients important?
Dealing with difficult clients is important since they can directly impact your company, employees and resources. By dealing with them, you can minimize the impact they have on your business and reduce the amount of stress they cause for you and your team. There are many types of behaviors that might characterize a client as difficult.
What is the most effective strategy for dealing with difficult clients?
According to a survey conducted by Harvard Business Review, 91% of client managers, account managers, and project managers reported that establishing clear expectations and boundaries was the most effective strategy in dealing with difficult clients. But what exactly does it mean to establish clear expectations?
