The customer isn’t always easygoing, reasonable or engaged, but when you work in a client-centric industry, the customer is always right.
Customer relationships are at the core of any sales-driven business. At my film production company, we rely on returning customers and client referrals. We've found that two customers are alike, and in any business, you’ll occasionally get a customer who crosses a line, butts heads with your staff or whose negativity makes it impossible to work with them. Most of the time such behavior is manageable -- it should be under extreme and rare circumstances that a business should sever ties with a client for gross misbehavior. Instead, try focusing on these six fixes to help you stick it out, repair the relationship, navigate around the controversial tendencies and win over their respect.
Most of the time, such behavior is manageable -- it should be under extreme and rare circumstances that a business should sever ties with a client for gross misbehavior. Instead, try focusing on these six fixes to help you stick it out, repair the relationship, navigate around the controversial tendencies and win over their respect.
1. Picture It Public
If your team gets fired up during meetings with a difficult client, ask them to picture how they would respond if all of their favorite clients were also in the room. Shifting perspective in that way can help everyone involved keep their cool and even encourage them to think of ways to put a positive spin on a negative moment.
2. Practice Receiving Feedback
It is easy to get emotionally tied to your work, especially in creative roles where your work is unique and close to heart. So when a client comes back with negative feedback, tension looms. It’s important to stay receptive to client feedback, despite your personal opinion of the feedback itself. Practice disconnecting your emotions when receiving feedback and instead focus on your client’s objective and the steps you will take to address their feedback in an effort to appease them going forward. Keep in mind that different clients will have different styles of dealing with things. Your job is to manage the client as well as the project.
3. Uncover Hidden Feedback
Just like employees, not every client is comfortable with providing feedback. Some clients who seem easy to work with may be harboring feedback that they didn’t feel comfortable enough to share. Be sure to create opportunities for every client to supply feedback in the way that’s easiest for them -- whether that be a one-on-one phone call or an anonymous survey. Insights gained from the easiest clients may help you uncover what’s happening with the more difficult ones. Make each client feel comfortable in sharing their thoughts, which will ultimately help you foster a better relationship.
4. Compromise
No one likes to hear the word “no.” In fact, its utterance alone sends stress-producing hormones coursing through our brains. Make it a standard operating procedure to never tell a customer “no.” Even when the requests become outrageous, think of alternative options or ways to compromise and avoid total shutdowns. Even if a client asks for something outside of your offering, you can always make an effort to point them in the right direction.
We're quite lenient with our client's requests and take pride in the fact that we go above and beyond their expectations. For example, there have been times when a client has asked for more than their fair share of revisions during the editing process in post-production, in which case we kindly remind them that they were quoted for X amount of said revisions and we have already exceeded this quota. Once we remind them of this and that we do indeed value their input, we ensure them that they are in good hands and that we will continue to work with them through every step of the process without directly telling them "no" and risk causing a rift in the relationship.
5. Kill Them With Kindness
Negativity breeds more negativity. If your customer is rude or upset, responding in kind will only escalate the situation. Instead, take your service to the next level and go over the top with your excellent treatment. I've found that in many cases this rude behavior is caused by a lack of communication or misunderstanding. I'll take the time to call a client and work out the details over the phone or even in person when appropriate. This way, they're able to express their frustration and we're able to calmly explain the situation from our end. This not only diffuses the situation, but setting the example may encourage the customer to change their behavior.
6. In The End, Remember They’re Right
Customers hire you for your expertise, so you may very well get frustrated when it feels as if your advice is being ignored. If you’re running into this problem, try a mindset shift. Remember, while you’re the expert in your field, the customer is the expert of their own business. The best thing you can do is advise them without forcing your opinions on them -- their input should be your No. 1 priority.
In the majority of cases where I've applied these rules, I've found that my relationship with a particular client turns into a partnership built on mutual trust and respect for one another and what we each bring to the table. Clients are sort of like family -- they know how to push your buttons and drive you crazy. But just like family, you need them more than anything. Learn how to convert your frustrations into positive reinforcements geared to build lasting relationships. Every client conflict is just another opportunity for you to impress.
