Let’s be honest for a minute. Some customers are a pain to deal with. Overbearing customers who nitpick and complain about every little thing can drive you crazy. There’s nothing you want more than to finish their project quickly, and move on.
But the truth is, there’s no shortage of demanding and unpleasant customers. Especially in the restoration business. So, it’s important to your business, to learn how to deal with these types of customers, so that you can close out their projects successfully.
Stay Calm
The last thing that you want to do when dealing with an unreasonable customer is to lose your cool. So, take a deep breath, and stay calm.
Don’t raise your voice, choose your words carefully, and don’t overreact when they push your buttons. By keeping calm when a customer is becoming overly demanding, you maintain control of the situation.
You need to maintain your composure, or your client will lose all faith in your ability to listen to them, and deliver a successful project.
Be Honest and Direct
Be polite, but be direct. You are the expert, and you need to have the confidence to stand your ground when necessary. A customer should never be able to push you around or waste your precious time with constant phone calls or emails.
An assertive response, one that’s backed by experience and expertise, will help reassure your customer. Be honest about the work that’s going to be done, and the time it will take to complete. This will set expectations early on, and leave little room for complaints in the future.
Overcommunicate At the Beginning of a Project
Often overbearing customers like this, are just taking out their anxiety and frustration on you. They are critical of every detail and insist on being involved in every step of the process, because it helps them feel in control.
Although restoration work is very necessary, it’s often unexpected for the customer. Most of them would undoubtedly be much happier if they never had to deal with fixing water damage, or removing mold from their home. You’re dealing with them in a stressful situation, so try to be as helpful as you can.
Start by walking them through the work that will be done. Explain the process step by step to help them feel comfortable. And make an effort to give regular updates as the project progresses. This will typically make the customer feel more at ease, and less likely to turn into an overbearing nightmare.
If you have customers who are becoming difficult to deal with because of unexpected delays, check out our recent post on how to keep your project moving forward with material delays.