Pause… and pay attention to your client service skills

16:07 - 22 March 2016

Please your clients

Did you know sending emails coloured in red is impolite and could rub off on the receiver’s wrong side? There are many important things are not necessarily paid attention to in client service.

Some clients can be difficult, they can hate on anything and everything, they can make you feel incapable and incompetent, some are never satisfied until blood and water runs out of your system.

If you are really unlucky, some will use expletives to express their annoyance or dissatisfaction.

How do you handle this professionally? How do you maintain a stand without coming off as cocky? How do you keep sane and not lose your mind when a client is bent on frustrating you?

The very first thing to note is that the client wants to be heard. The client probably knows their target audience a lot better than you do and they want to prove that to you.

So, listen to them, they just might be seeing things from a different perspective, and they may be right.

However, do you dance to the client’s tune when they are obviously on the wrong path? Because truth be told, customers are not always right. The simple answer is No.

The ‘unsimple’ answer is providing counsel and documenting your advice and objections. The documentation process can also be helpful if they don’t end up taking your advice, and the strategy fails.

You can then (carefully) say, ‘Well, this is actually the strategy we recommended. And hopefully you’ll have a chance to try it again the right way’.

Good client service is an important skill if you hope to succeed in any business. This simple act can make or mar your business, help renew that multi-million naira contract, get you more referrals, or simply improve with your brand’s perception.

Quick case study: Mr. XYZ wants services that were not covered in your agreement. Mr XYZ is a tough client and you’re obviously frustrated by his frivolous demands.

Response A

Dear Mr. XYZ, I’m afraid we do not have that covered in our agreement with you. Please see signed invoice attached for clarification. Should you have any more concerns, please don’t hesitate to let me know.

Response B

Dear Mr. XYZ, I honestly do not know what you are talking about. Please check the signed invoice again so that we are clear on all fronts. Thanks.

I’ll give ‘Response A’ anytime. Both passing the same message across; different approaches. It’s not all easy peasy, but that is why you and I are (and want to remain) in business. Isn’t it?

Written by Folu Olumideko

This is a feature by RDM.