Staying Positive After Negative Customer Behaviour

Some customers really need to get a professional mindset when dealing with their suppliers. They need to realise that, just as they will react badly to poor or unprofessional service from a retailer, we will react badly to their behaviour.

In the past few days, I've had more than my usual share of negativity from customers. In no particular order, I've had to deal with:

1. Customers who, despite numerous visits, phonecalls or notes telling them when I'll visit, etc. never have the money to pay for the goods they've ordered, yet get upset when I ask if they still want them.
2. Customers who see it as a God-given right (judging by the reaction when I catch them at it) to short-change me.
3. Customers who try to pull a fast one regarding free replacements for items they've not bought from me.
4. Customers who demand refunds for items with no receipt to support their refund request.
5. Customers who, despite never being in when I call, and never taking the opportunity to call me back using the phone number on the numerous "sorry I missed you" slips, still harangue me when I finally get them to answer the door, before refusing to pay for goods they've ordered.

As always, I'm polite, assertive and calm in these situations, despite how I feel towards them.

In every single case, I've thought long and hard about whether I actually want the hassle of having these people as customers. Some will never get a catalogue from me again, some will get a second chance.

How do you deal with your negative customers?

How to Deal with Customer Complaints

I got a wake-up call yesterday, whilst I was out collecting straggler catalogues. I was told I wasn't professional enough. By a customer.

This customer used to be part of a Kleeneze distributorship, back in the '90s. Her comments on my professionalism stemmed from the fact I didn't knock on her door the night before to collect her order. She was also aggrieved about the fact that I hadn't fulfilled a previous order. Only one problem with that - she hadn't given me an order in the past 8 weeks, as I hadn't given her a catalogue in the past 8 weeks, as per her husband's instructions.

I could have got upset and let her know it - after all, if she ordered something from another Kleeneze distributor, there's not much I could do if the goods weren't delivered.

I chose not to. I apologised, promised I would always knock on the door in future, told her I'd no idea what had happened to her order and that I would not let her down again. I meant every word, and she realised that. I also opened up a little about why I was trying to build my Kleeneze business and why good customer relationships were so important to me. In doing so, I reinforced my own beliefs.

Sometimes it's good to tell others what your WHY is.

In return, she gave me some useful tips for managing my Kleeneze retail business and I will be implementing those over the next few weeks. Her husband joined in, with suggestions as to good areas to deliver catalogues, and I will follow up on his suggestions too.

We parted on friendly terms, and much of the potential damage has been dealt with. The rest can only be dealt with when I demonstrate, over time, that I am both professional and reliable.

What are your favourite ways of dealing with customer complaints?