Surviving Difficult Customers

Customers are always complaining and bad mouthing customer service representatives and customer service in general. How about surviving difficult and rude customers from the customer service point of view? Here’s some descriptions of the most difficult, and sometimes rude, customers and how to deal with them without losing your cool and your mind.

The Cell Phone Talker: These people talk on the phone the whole time you’re waiting on them. The unseen person on the other end is more important than the live person that’s standing right in front of them. Although you would love to shout “GET OFF THE PHONE!”, you know that they would definitely register a complaint from their end. How can you give them good service when they won’t stop talking long enough to listen? The best way is to smile and deliver only the pertinent information. All efforts for a conversation would be wasted so just save your energy.

2. The Impatient Customer: This is the customer that rings the bell five times without stopping, twitches, looks at their watch, taps their nails on your counter and sighs. They make you nervous just by being around them. It seems no matter how fast you go, it isn’t fast enough. What you need to do is say what you need to say, smile and grit your teeth. Just don’t be tempted to talk even more slowly just to watch them implode.

3. The Nosy Customer: This customer is your new best friend. They ask you personal questions, make comments about your appearance, ask if you’re in college, how long you’ve worked at your job and if you like it. If they’re just being friendly, it’s ok. However, if the questions get too off track and make you feel uncomfortable, try to laugh off the questions. Stick to one word answers and one word questions. Maybe they’ll take the hint, if not, they’ll be gone shortly.

4. The Joker: This person likes to kid around. Something won’t scan, it must be free they say. If the bills are crisp when they hand them to you, they just made them in the basement. All they want is a laugh and if you do, you’ve made their day and out the door they go…happy.

5. High Maintenance Customer: This customer knows what he wants and he’ll bring it back if it’s not right. If he gets really ticked, he’ll go to the manager. He’s very specific when he orders so be careful when taking his order because he’ll check everything. It’s not just you, he’s difficult everywhere he goes. Remember, the customer is always right, so get his order right and move him on quickly.

Customer service is a difficult job especially when it comes to difficult customers. However, by keeping these hints in mind when you get any of these type of customers will keep you focused..and you’ll keep your job!

By Linda Lee Ruzicka

Linda Lee Ruzicka lives in the mountains of Western PA , happily married and with her 8 cats and three dogs. She has been published in Twilight Times, Dark Krypt, Fables, Writing Village, June Cotner anthology, The Grit, Reminisce , the book, Haunted Encounters: Friends and Family. She also does freelances work for Beyond and for CSJobs.com. More of her blogs can be found at CSJobsblog.com.