10.4 Unhappy customers? Difficult customers?
We need to make an important distinction. An unhappy customer has a complaint or a problem, which should be seen as an opportunity to puts things right and as feedback to improve service. Solving a customer's problem to their satisfaction can leave you with a feeling of achievement. These types of incidents can be easily viewed as opportunities and thought of in a positive manner.
But I'm sure that many of you will have been asking: "What about those customers who are really very 'challenging' to deal with - those customers that nothing pleases, whose complaints are unwarranted, untruthful and/or unreasonable?" Alternatively, you have been remembering the customer who has a genuine complaint, but approaches you with an aggressive, difficult, rude or unreasonable attitude? No matter how patient you are or how much advice you provide them, they cannot be satisfied.
These sorts of people can ruin an otherwise positive day, robbing you of your concentration for the remainder of the day. In several cases, I have witnessed colleagues, and experienced myself, a long period of stress and recovery from incidents with these sorts of customers.
It is not easy remaining positive when dealing with people who are being rude or unreasonable; and there are no easy solutions to dealing with customers such as these. You may have to seek assistance from your manager or colleagues. You may want to talk over the situation with fellow employees; and have the opportunity to "debrief", to canvas ways to handle the customer or just let off steam. In some cases, the value of their business will not be equal to the cost of satisfying them. In such a situation, management may decide to direct the customer to another provider.
Just remember that, largely, most complaints are made by unhappy or dissatisfied customers who do not mean to give you personally a difficult time. Truly difficult customers are by far the minority.
The following reading is somewhat lengthy, however it is relevant as it covers customer satisfaction issues with ocean shipping lines. Read through the paper with a view to identifying the key issues.
Reading 10.6
Srinivas, Lysonski and Subhash 2000, "Business-to Business marketing service recovery and customer satisfaction issues with ocean shipping lines".
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