{"id":76767,"date":"2020-08-08T11:09:51","date_gmt":"2020-08-08T11:09:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/intelligentbee.com\/blog\/?p=76767"},"modified":"2025-08-22T10:21:15","modified_gmt":"2025-08-22T10:21:15","slug":"examples-of-difficult-customers-how-to-deal-with-them-professionally","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/intelligentbee.com\/blog\/examples-of-difficult-customers-how-to-deal-with-them-professionally\/","title":{"rendered":"Examples Of Difficult Customers &#038; How To Deal With Them Professionally"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even if you do everything right, you\u2019ll always come across the occasional difficult customer. It\u2019s impossible to satisfy everyone. The best you can do is ensure that you know how to deal with difficult customers in a professional manner. Your company\u2019s reputation depends on it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Of course, there are different reasons why certain customers are considered difficult. Some have unreasonable demands. Others want to vent their frustration. Some just can\u2019t decide what they want. Your method for dealing with one might not work for another, which is why you need to know how to handle each situation accordingly.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In doing so, you can make happy and loyal customers out of the most unlikely people. Here\u2019s how.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_68_1 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title \" >Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/intelligentbee.com\/blog\/examples-of-difficult-customers-how-to-deal-with-them-professionally\/#Vague_Customers\" title=\"Vague Customers\">Vague Customers<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/intelligentbee.com\/blog\/examples-of-difficult-customers-how-to-deal-with-them-professionally\/#Indecisive_Customers\" title=\"Indecisive Customers\">Indecisive Customers<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/intelligentbee.com\/blog\/examples-of-difficult-customers-how-to-deal-with-them-professionally\/#Impatient_Customers\" title=\"Impatient Customers\">Impatient Customers<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/intelligentbee.com\/blog\/examples-of-difficult-customers-how-to-deal-with-them-professionally\/#Unhappy_Customers\" title=\"Unhappy Customers\">Unhappy Customers<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/intelligentbee.com\/blog\/examples-of-difficult-customers-how-to-deal-with-them-professionally\/#Furious_Customers\" title=\"Furious Customers\">Furious Customers<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/intelligentbee.com\/blog\/examples-of-difficult-customers-how-to-deal-with-them-professionally\/#Demanding_Customers\" title=\"Demanding Customers\">Demanding Customers<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Vague_Customers\"><\/span><b>Vague Customers<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Situation<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: A customer has trouble communicating what they want.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Solution<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Don\u2019t hesitate to ask questions here. Knowing more about their needs will help you determine what is necessary in order to be of service. Perhaps you can suggest relevant material such as pamphlets or pictures. Try to ask open-ended questions as opposed to getting yes\/no answers. This will help you obtain more information.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Indecisive_Customers\"><\/span><b>Indecisive Customers<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Situation<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: A customer is unsure about what to choose.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Solution<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: You can tackle this in a similar manner to the above customer type. Let them explain what they want. It\u2019s likely that they have a concern about the product or service that needs to be addressed, such as with the price or choosing between different options. Providing examples of what you believe would best suit the customer\u2019s needs can help.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Impatient_Customers\"><\/span><b>Impatient Customers<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Situation<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: A customer is particularly upset about something taking longer than expected.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Solution<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Start with an apology, but only when you have a valid \u201cbecause\u201d to back it up. Provide a good reason for the delay while making sure to use positive language. For instance, you can say that you\u2019re working with the maintenance team to get things up and running again.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When appropriate, you can end by offering to inform the customer with a follow-up message when everything is ready.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Unhappy_Customers\"><\/span><b>Unhappy Customers<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Situation<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: A customer has a complaint or is simply not pleased with the product or service.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Solution<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: It\u2019s good to start with an apology here as well &#8211; even if their dissatisfaction isn\u2019t justified. Be sure to frame it accordingly. From there, you can suggest a solution and attempt to alleviate the issue. It\u2019s worth listening to the customer to hear about how they want the matter resolved.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Furious_Customers\"><\/span><b>Furious Customers<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Situation:\u00a0 <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A customer is extremely angry and cannot be reasoned with.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Solution: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The safest way out here is to simply listen. Let them explain their dissatisfaction without judgement or interruptions. At this point, any answer, no matter how good, will likely be interpreted as an excuse or just flat out ignored. Remember not to take anything they say personally.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As always, an apology is in order once the customer is finished venting. Speak slowly and calmly while asking questions that help the customer work through their problem. Chances are that they\u2019ll eventually solve it themselves. If not, then it\u2019s up to you to determine a suitable solution.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Demanding_Customers\"><\/span><b>Demanding Customers<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Situation: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A customer is set in their ways and refuses to budge.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Solution<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: This is the opposite of the indecisive customer. They seem to know what they want so well that they ignore any alternatives, even if the alternatives are better for them. Your best bet is to politely inform them that there are other choices and let them decide how they want to proceed. You essentially act as a source of information.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you can\u2019t meet their demands, then try to find an appropriate compromise, such as a free product or discount.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Talkative Customers<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><b>Situation: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A customer is speaking a lot, but saying very little.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Solution: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These aren\u2019t always easy situations, as the customer might not be unhappy. In fact, they might love the product or service to the point where they can\u2019t stop talking about it. Depending on the circumstances, one option might be to move the conversation to another channel.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, if the customer is talking on the phone, then you can let them know that the service rep they\u2019re speaking to needs to take a break before requesting their contact information. Then you can communicate with them via email. This is an ideal opportunity to leverage enthusiastic customers into providing a testimonial or positive feedback.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let\u2019s end things off by taking a look at some challenging scenarios that don\u2019t necessarily involve a difficult customer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>You Don\u2019t Have an Answer<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><b>Situation: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A unique situation has occurred where you don\u2019t know what to say.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Solution<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Of course, being a customer service representative or anyone who stands as the face of the company for that matter, you can\u2019t say that you don\u2019t know. That can turn even the calmest face red. A better option is to inform the customer that you\u2019re going to explore the available options and get back to them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Be sure to provide a specific time and stick to it. Don\u2019t make the customer send a follow-up message. If you happen to reach the deadline without a solution, you can still send a quick message to say that you need more time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>You Need to Transfer Someone<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><b>Situation: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The issue is beyond your area of expertise.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Solution<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: You want to transfer the customer without making them feel like their issue is being brushed off. Give them confidence that you\u2019re sending them in the right direction and remember to use positive language.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>You Made a Mistake<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><b>Situation<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Something happened where you\u2019re at fault.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Solution<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: You might have to put ego aside and acknowledge your error. Take an objective look at the situation and consider how it impacted the customer. Being truthful will make all the difference. Show empathy to the customer and remind them that it won\u2019t happen again.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You\u2019ll inevitably find yourself in these situations during your time dealing with customers. They won\u2019t always be easy, but knowing what to do and having confidence in yourself will help you get through them promptly and professionally.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Even if you do everything right, you\u2019ll always come across the occasional difficult customer. It\u2019s impossible to satisfy everyone. 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