Stay One Step Ahead – Deliver Enhanced Customer Service by Predicting the Future

What if you could predict the future? Can you imagine the kind of customer service you’d be able to offer? You could give your customers what they want before they even know what that is. 

The good news is, that while you may not be psychic, you can make accurate predictions about the future that will allow you to improve your customer service and blow your customers away. Here are some ways to do it. 

Know Your Customer’s Needs

The simple key to excellent customer service is meeting or exceeding your customers’ needs. So, the better you can understand these needs, the better you can meet them. 

Make sure you have a detailed customer profile based on objective data about your audience. Use this to grasp their pain points, issues, challenges, and questions. Develop products that meet these needs and tailor your services to them. Keep seeking new ways to do this and you’ll surprise and delight them each time. 

Two-Way Communication

Maintain two-way communication with your audience and constantly seek their feedback. Do this through social media, online groups, surveys, polls, and more.

If you’re receptive to what your audience is telling you, they’ll drop clues about their needs and you’ll be able to make improvements to accommodate them. Remember that if one person tells you something, there are probably more people thinking it and not saying it. 

Know Your Industry Well

Do you want to surprise your customers with ‘futuristic’ features or innovative products? Simply listen to what’s going on in your industry. 

Stay on top of product development by subscribing to trade journals and email lists in your industry. Follow influencers and experts. Keep in touch with people in your network who are reliable sources for up-to-date ideas and new releases. Your audience will think you’re clairvoyant. 

Check out the Competition

Another source of inspiration is your competition. Sign up for their newsletter or lead magnet and, if you have the budget, purchase one of their products, allowing you to experience their customer service firsthand. Observe what works and what doesn’t – and consider implementing their best ideas. 

For example, you might find that a competitor’s website has a chatbot or a generous trial period. If it’s something you can offer, integrate it into your customer service strategy.  

Constantly Seek Feedback

Predictive customer service isn’t something that’s implemented one time only. If you want to meet needs that your customers don’t even know they have yet, you must constantly seek feedback from them and the market. Use this to create an exceptional customer experience, resulting in better retention rates and sales. 

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The Rise of the ‘Entitled Customer’ (and 3 Must-Have Skills to Deal with Them)

You’ve heard the popular saying, “the customer is always right,” but is it true? 

Customers can be unreasonable, overly demanding, or just plain mean, and certainly not “right.” But in recent years, businesses have seen the rise of a new breed of difficult customer – the Entitled Customer. These customers are changing the face of the service industry. Businesses need to treat customers like gold or risk losing them to competitors and receiving scathing reviews. 

What does this mean for you? There are a few skills you can learn so that you treat your Entitled Customer right every time.

What Is the ‘Entitled Customer’?

When someone is “entitled,” they feel they deserve a heightened level of service. They see themselves as special and worthy of immediate attention. For the entitled customer, the whole world revolves around them. 

Studies show that in the internet age, customers feel more entitled than ever. They have so many choices, and fewer face-to-face interactions with businesses, that they don’t hesitate to advocate for themselves and make demands.  

It may sound like a business’s worst nightmare, but if you think about it, wouldn’t you like to have this level of service? 

Practice Active Listening

Active listening means listening closely to what a person says and repeating it back to them in your own words. It serves two purposes. One, you make sure you fully understand what they’re saying so you don’t get anything wrong. Two, you show that you’re paying attention and make the other person feel heard. 

This skill is essential for good customer service because you need to fully understand the complaint before you can offer a solution. Active listening fosters better communication.

Use Empathy

Empathy is the ability to put yourself in the other person’s shoes and understand how they feel. It doesn’t mean you agree with them or take responsibility for the problem. It just means you can feel the frustration they’re feeling and you get why they’re upset.

People buy things largely because of how they feel. It is less about what the customer needs. An important part of resolving these issues is to move the customer from feeling wronged to feeling satisfied, so you need to be in touch with their feelings. 

Being Flexible

You need to have flexibility in your problem-solving skills to meet the needs of the customer and provide a good solution. This doesn’t mean that you’re going to violate your policies or cross any boundaries you shouldn’t cross. It just helps if you have some wiggle room and you’re not inflexible.

Get Prepared

In addition to these skills, it helps if you’re ready with a plan for complaints. No matter how great your products and services, you’re sometimes going to encounter entitled customers who feel let down. Develop a plan and protocols for everybody to follow, and difficult customers will rarely cause major disruptions in your business.

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5 Gems Your Most Difficult Customers Can Teach You

It’s inevitable that customers are going to complain and they’re going to talk to others about it. This can hurt your business’s reputation, but it can also provide valuable insight. If you see it as a learning experience, you can handle these interactions calmly and use them as an opportunity to grow. Here are 5 valuable lessons you can learn from your most difficult customers. 

Your Messaging Is Unclear

Customer complaints often arise out of misunderstandings. They don’t understand your policies and products and, as a result, their expectations aren’t met. It’s possible that they didn’t read the material on your website carefully, but there could also be an underlying problem with your messaging.

When you have a customer that doesn’t understand your products or policies, go back over your marketing materials and see if there’s anything unclear. Create an FAQ if you don’t already have one or add the customer’s issue to your FAQ. 

You Have More to Learn About Your Customers

The reason you have a difficult customer is often because you’re not meeting their needs somehow. Through your interaction with them, you should seek to understand their needs so that you can better meet them from now on.

After an encounter with a difficult customer, see if you have any new data points to add to your customer profile. What did you learn? What passions, pain points, or problems were revealed? 

You’re Not Communicating Your Value

Sometimes you’ll get complaints about price. This may indicate that you’re not communicating your unique value effectively. 

Go over your marketing material and make sure it emphasizes the benefits and value you offer. 

Another option is to add value to your offerings to make them well worth the price. Don’t lower the cost unless your market research tells you to do so. 

You Need to Boost Your Conflict Resolution Skills

Encounters with difficult customers can shine a light on how well you handle complaints and resolve conflicts. This is important for a business owner, as you’re likely to get more complaints in the future. In fact, some may be even more difficult or completely unreasonable. 

Every business should have protocols and plans for dealing with difficult customers. If you don’t have a system in place, it is time to set one up. 

Why People Leave

Most customers who quit buying from you just disappear without a trace. A complaining customer might be offering you the reason why people are leaving. It shows areas where you can make improvements and improve your customer retention. 

Turn Complaints into Opportunities

Train yourself to see difficult customers as teachers with valuable knowledge about your market. Use their feedback to improve your business, reduce complaints, and improve your customer service.

Are you tired of getting stressed out by difficult customers? Check out my program, [COURSE NAME]. It will teach you how to incorporate protocols and policies that will make your life easier and improve your business. 

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5 Reasons Difficult Customers Get Angry (and What You Can Do About It)

It can be tough to deal with difficult customers if you don’t have much experience with them. You need a plan that will help you reach a positive outcome, but first, you must determine why they’re angry. Here are the 5 main reasons customers get upset and tips to handle each situation: 

The Customer Doesn’t Understand Your Business

The frustration a customer feels often arises out of a misunderstanding. Your policies may be unclear or difficult to find. Or, even if you are clear, there’s still a chance they just don’t understand what you are trying to communicate. The result? You don’t meet their expectations and they come to you angry and upset. 

When this happens, listen to the customer and apologize, and then explain the policy in detail to clear up any misunderstanding. You may also want to update your content or put it someplace that is easier to find.  

The Customer Thinks the Price Is High

No matter how reasonable your pricing, there will always be people who complain. Their finances could be strained, or they don’t understand what you’re offering, and this makes them feel like you’re charging too much.

If you’ve done your market research and set a reasonable price, there’s a chance you haven’t emphasized the benefits enough. Focus on communicating the unique value you offer. You may also consider giving them added value, or overdelivering in some other way, to send them away satisfied. 

Poor Customer Service

It could be that your products and services are meeting people’s needs but your customer service is lacking. Customers may complain because your support was too slow or insufficient. The cause could also be a lack of staff training.

If this is the case, apologize and offer something that will make it better. Listen to them and see if there are any improvements you can make. 

Some People Just Like to Complain

It’s a simple truth that some people are complainers. They’re very sensitive and vocal, and they’re good at getting what they want by complaining. They may be genuinely unhappy with your product or service, or there could be something else going on in their lives and they’re taking it out on you.

The solution is to employ active listening and give them a chance to vent. You can also ask them for specific feedback on improvements you can make. This will show them that you care about them and defuse their anger.

You’re Dealing with A Troll

Some difficult customers are just trolls and they’re giving you a hard time. It has nothing to do with your products or business policies. 

If you find that you’re dealing with someone like this, don’t match their aggressiveness or negativity. Stay calm, apologize, offer to make good, and end the encounter as soon as possible. If you can’t get any specific reasons for their anger, there’s not much you can do for them. 

If you want to know how to handle difficult customers, then head over to my program, [COURSE NAME], where you’ll find valuable information and resources. 

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5 Tips to Keep Your Cool When Dealing with Difficult Customers

How do you feel when confronted by a combative customer expressing displeasure with your products and services? For most of us, it’s not a walk in the park. 

We naturally feel tension and this makes it hard not to escalate the situation. But escalation will only make it worse. To handle difficult customers well, you need to be calm and steady so you can employ the right skills and find the right solution. Here are some ways to stay calm when dealing with a difficult customer. 

Watch Your Body Language

When you’re emotionally upset, you feel tension in your body. This can result in involuntarily expressing that tension through body language. On the other hand, if you can control your body language, this can work in reverse and help you feel calm.

Don’t cross your arms, sigh, or frown. Avoid taking an aggressive posture. Learn not to mirror the body language of the customer. Keep your body in an open posture and maintain a friendly facial expression. 

Practice Active Listening

Listen to what the customer is saying and repeat it back to them to check for understanding. This shows that you’re paying attention and also helps you clarify your understanding. Naturally interject listening words like “I see” and “okay.”

Be Empathetic

Focus on how the other person is feeling. Try to feel their frustration. This will take the heat off you and help to deescalate. When they see that you’re empathizing with them, they’ll clam down. You can then work together to find a solution that makes them happy. 

Offer a Genuine Apology

Acknowledge the issue and apologize for the trouble they’ve experienced. This is not an admission of your wrongdoing, but simply an acknowledgement of their suffering. Don’t just say, “I’m sorry,” but mention the specific things that are troubling them.

Let Go of Your Ego

Realize the issue is not about you. It may seem personal when the customer is emotional or aggressive, but keep in mind that it’s due to their unmet expectations, which may or may not be your business’s fault.

Practice Deep Breathing

Learn some breathing and relaxation techniques to help you stay calm when things get heated. Try deep breathing, counting to ten, stopping to take a drink of water, or using visualizations. Focus on something that reduces your tension. 

Focus on the Solution

Once you’ve heard the customer out, keep the conversation focused on the solution. Use phrases like, “I can” or “How about if we…” If you steer the conversation to what you can do for them, it will get them to move beyond their anger and toward resolution. 

The Right Mindset

The right mindset for dealing with difficult customers is to not think of them as an annoying disruption to your day. Think of this interaction as a challenge to learn from and turn into a valuable opportunity to grow. Along with a good plan and protocols, this mindset will help you skilfully handle even the worst customers. 

Want to learn more? Check out my new course – [COURSE NAME]. It teaches you how to deal with difficult customers to reduce your stress and send them away happy. 

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5 Reasons Small Business Owners Love Difficult Customers

Your business has a great marketing plan, excellent products, and a strong connection with your audience. When a difficult customer comes along with complaints or negative comments, it can feel like they’re throwing a wrench into all of your hard work and progress.

It’s natural to feel frustrated. But what if you could see difficult customers as an asset to your business? They present a challenge and if you can meet and overcome that challenge, your business will be stronger for it. Here are the reasons why difficult customers are an asset to your business.

Difficult Customers Are Honest

Most customers stop buying from you and leave without telling you why. When you have a customer contacting you with complaints or issues, they’re bringing these things to light and letting you know. They may be drawing your attention to something you need to improve.

Difficult customers provide you with valuable insight. They deliver important feedback that you can use to not only improve customer satisfaction, but also enhance communications, marketing, and product development. 

Whatever Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Stronger

Dealing with an unhappy customer is hard, but it’s challenge that will only make your business better. No matter how great your products and services are, it’s inevitable that you’ll experience dissatisfied customers. Dealing with them is a skill every business needs to master. It will allow you to create a process and protocols that leave customers satisfied and you, and your staff, empowered. 

An Angry Customer Is a Valuable Opportunity

Sometimes the most troublesome customers turn into our biggest brand advocates. Your instinct is to make them disappear so they don’t cause you trouble. But if you can turn things around and exceed their expectations, you can win them over. Overdeliver and blow them away, and they’ll go on to sing your praises to others. 

Difficult Customers Put Things in Perspective

One benefit of difficult customers is that they help you realize how nice your other customers are! They show you what an unhappy customer looks like so you can identify them in the future. With better appreciation for your regular customers, you can find new ways to offer even better service to them. 

Show You Care

A difficult customer is a great opportunity to show them, and others, how much you care. If someone complains publicly or leaves a negative comment where others can see, this can be scary for a business. But it gives you a chance to publicly reply and demonstrate that you value your customers, which is great for your branding. 

How to Deal with Angry Customers

Whenever you have an angry customer, respond to them quickly. Be professional and patient. Focus on listening and making sure you understand the nature of the problem first before you offer a solution. Try to turn this challenging encounter into an opportunity.

Are you struggling to deal with difficult customers? Check out my full program, where I teach you the A-Z of taking care of your most challenging customers. Check it out here – [INSERT LINK]

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