Tell the client that he is right. How to work with clients? Efficient service. Know when and how to admit defeat

13.11.2019

Letova Olga

Your company can produce a great product at a fair price or provide the highest quality service, you can be polite and considerate to your customers. But it does not matter, because customers will always find a reason to be dissatisfied.

The program freezes, the taxi is stuck in a traffic jam, the courier is driving too slowly,“I thought that it would be green, and this is the color of the sea wave”, “can I have a discount of not 10% but at least 35%”, “where is the moon from the sky for these couple of thousand?”.

No, reciprocal rudeness, even if it seems like an adequate response, is not an option. But in any case, you must learn to say “no” to clients, on the one hand, without burning guilt and, on the other, without aggression.

We will tell you about ways to politely refuse, which will help you cope with an awkward situation and shamelessly say “no” to a client without ruining your relationship with him.

Ask for clarification

Quite often, customer complaints are emotional, but not very meaningful:

“Your update sucks, what the hell!!! Return everything as it was!”, “Where is that manager, it seems that his name was Vasily, with whom I talked on Wednesday? I want to work only with him, but I don’t know you at all and don’t want to know! What does quit mean? How can I be?.

When clients behave in this way, they at least give you the opportunity to ask a clarifying question, such as this:

“I am very sorry to hear this. Could you clarify what exactly you liked about the previous version that you couldn't find after the update? Why did you like working with Vasily? If you explain, I will try to take this into account, and maybe it will become more convenient for you to work with our company.”

Of course, you will not replace the new version of the product with the old one, nor will you persuade the retired Vasily to return back, you will not even try. In this case, it doesn't matter.

You will give the client a reason to feel that their opinion is really important to you and that your company cares about it.

By the way, an added bonus is that customer explanations will actually help you solve their problem.

Promise the client to consider his request in the future

Very often, customers take the phrase too literally. "every whim for your money" and want from your company what it cannot give them.

Home delivery pizza companies usually do not provide quality additional option taking out the trash or walking the dog. And pizza is not always the same as rolls. Companies specializing in organizing children's parties rarely deal with bachelor parties, but sometimes the client does not think so.

It would seem simple “no, we deliver pizza, not rolls” it would be enough. But this is not entirely true, because

firstly, this upsets the client and reduces his potential loyalty (after all, someday he will want pizza),

a Secondly, you deprive yourself of an additional and completely free marketing tool.

In order not to upset the client, you can answer something like this:

“Unfortunately, in this moment we do not deliver rolls, but we will definitely think about it. Our company closely monitors customer requests, and if there are enough requests like yours, we will revise our range in the future.”

The client is pleased to know that his request will not disappear and that he was paid attention, even if this is the type of client who tries to order a striptease from a children's party agency.

However, it is important to keep in mind that this kind of polite refusal only works if your company is really ready to change my product line based on client requests.

But don't lie

No matter how much you want to reassure the client just to get rid of him "here and now", don't do it. Avoid lies and empty promises.

You should not lie to the client that his request will be taken into account and considered if you are not even going to share this information with those who make such decisions.

It is bad to deceive a client, not only because it is unethical, but also because people usually feel good about this kind of insincerity, and your cunning can turn against you.

It's better to upset the client and say "no" than to cheat by saying: "We will certainly consider your request." Because after a while, when you forget about him or your unsuspecting colleague or, even worse, your boss takes your place, the stubborn client will call back and ask how things are going with his “Wishlist”.

Say "no" in other words

If you still need to refuse a client's request, you may well do so without using the word "no" at all.

Instead of “No, we do not and will not have a stripper cake” you can say “Yes, we understand that many people like striptease and groceries and that it would be an interesting move to combine them, but I'm afraid our company is not ready for this and it is unlikely that we will ever have this option” or "There is currently no way we can do this for you, but thanks for taking the time."

An honest but polite response is more likely to leave the door open for future success, and the client won't feel like they've wasted their time with you.

Let the client feel like they've been heard

Very often it is important for people to understand that their problem has been heard and understood. Simple tricks like addressing the customer by name or phrases like "I understand what you're talking about" continue to work.

Thank people for letting you know what they need. Whatever their problem, it is important that they took the time to contact you, even if they do not distinguish rolls from pizza and do not understand that the call center operator will not solve their problems with low learning new technologies.

By the way: Respond quickly, but not too quickly, so as not to arouse the unpleasant suspicion in the client that you are doing this automatically without even delving into his problem.

Suggest alternatives

If you are serious about maintaining customer loyalty to your company or to you personally in the long term, you should try to help them, even if it does not bring you obvious benefits right now. Yes, you do not deliver rolls, but you can immediately name the company that does it, even if it is your competitor.

The next most important thing for the client (after getting what he wanted to receive) is the feeling that his request was treated carefully and seriously enough.

If you skillfully and almost honestly combine different techniques of polite refusal, then your “no” will be perceived by the client almost as a “yes”. This will not only avoid embarrassment, but will also strengthen the two-way relationship between the client and the company and, last but not least, between you and the client.

Vladislav Smilevsky

Business trainer

Team of coaches "Umbrel"

How to say NO without losing a customer.

Bank customer service manager.
The client has collected a set of documents for a loan. According to the rules of the company, it was decided to refuse a loan. How to tell a client that he was denied a loan, and not lose it?

Call center operator.
How to tell a client that you do not yet have information on his claim so that you are not poured negative?

Retail bank teller.
He sat in line for a long time. In a large set of documents, one reference is missing. How to tell him so that the client understands, takes it calmly?

Insurance company expert.
During the inspection, he determined that an uninsured event had occurred - Insurance Company nothing will be paid. How to explain this to the client?

Bank employee. The client applies for the second time - he received a transfer, which can only be received at this branch of the bank. For technical reasons, the box office is closed. How to explain the situation to the client?

Thousands of people come to the forefront of business every day.

They serve customers.

They are between a rock and a hard place - on the one hand, they must strictly follow the rules of the company, on the other hand, they must satisfy the demanding client.

By the nature of their work, they are obliged from time to time to inform the client of unpleasant news - to talk about refusals, about the lack of information, about the need to redo documents. Each painful message can cause a storm of negative emotions in the client.

The company most often uses slogans such as "The customer is always right" or "You must be polite, you are the face of the company," but employees are unclear exactly how to deal with an irritated, nervous client.

Two models of defensive behavior are common.

Let's call the first, conditionally, "football player". The employee seeks to quickly complete an unpleasant contact, “kick back” the client. Hard direct failure:

Your case has been denied. I can't help. If you don't like it, you can complain. It's your right. Sample complaint on the stand.

If the client starts to argue, the “broken record” technique is used - the same thing is repeated in a monotonous voice.

The manager is also not iron, the role of a soulless mechanical monster is unpleasant for him at heart, it can lead to stress.

The consequences of "kickbacks" cannot but affect the company, the client and the employee.

The second line of behavior - relatively speaking, "nanny". The refusal is accompanied by a mass of apologies and explanations. The voice is uncertain, ingratiating - "the management has made a decision, it was decided so at the top." It is felt that the manager himself considers the decision of the company unfair. Often, behavior affects most clients like a red rag to a bull. As a rule, they demand guidance, write complaints to the regulatory authorities. Sometimes customers accept an employee's explanation, but the company's reputation suffers.

The manager-nanny is dissatisfied with the manager, the client is dissatisfied, and he himself is not happy with himself. Usually, he chooses the extreme company, which, they say, has established unfair rules and makes him say nasty things to people. Dissatisfaction with oneself breeds stress.

Obviously, both conventional behaviors are ineffective.

CONFLICT MAP is a tool that is designed to help the customer service manager understand the emotions of the client at different stages of the conflict, and can act correctly at each stage.

Let's look at what happens to a client when they hear a rejection.

To do this, let's remember what feelings we experience when we learn some unpleasant news.

For example, when we discover that we have lost our car keys.

First we discover that the keys are nowhere to be found. We will call this stage “Position”.

The first feelings are panic, fear, anger, irritation. On the CONFLICT MAP, this is the "Explosion" stage.

Gradually, the understanding comes that there are no keys anywhere, and this seems to have seriously happened to us. The stage at which a person gradually accepts the idea that something is happening to him that makes him change his plans is conventionally called “Acceptance”.

With the question "So what to do now?" begins the search for a way out of the situation, drawing up a plan of action. Stage "Plan". In the case of the key, we decide how to get out of the situation - how to open the car, where to make a duplicate key.

After that, we begin to put the plan into action. Stage "Action".

A client, like any other person, experiences the same range of feelings when he hears bad news.

Scheme - in the attached file

Let's look at the situation graphically. To do this, we construct the coordinate axes. The vertical axis is the level of negative emotions of the client, the horizontal axis is time. Let's draw a horizontal line in which the client's calm state is the norm.

At the “Position” stage, the specialist should be friendly, clearly state the essence of the situation.

During the “Explosion” stage, the client experiences a storm of negative feelings. The explosion of emotions is reflected on the chart by the red line, which shows that the intensity of emotions increases sharply. The employee needs to let the client let off steam, listen to him.

At the stage of "Acceptance", the intensity of emotions remains high, but does not increase. The specialist should clearly explain the essence of his position, offer a joint search for a way out of the current situation.

Most often, at the “Actions” stage, the client acts independently, but if possible, a specialist can support him with consultations and a phone call. The level of emotions gradually decreases, returning to normal.

Who was the specialist for the client when he made the refusal?

At the very least, an enemy. At the "Plan" stage, we see an employee in the role of a consultant, expert, assistant. How did he manage to become a friend in a few minutes from an enemy?

He was benevolent, accurate when he informed about the refusal.

I was able to listen to the client calmly.

Explained the problem in detail.

The skill of action in a conflict situation is better to work out in a safe environment, at the training.

Detailed technology of working with conflicts, step-by-step instruction on conducting the training is described in the book “How to say NO and not lose a client”, Rech publishing house, St. Petersburg, 2009.

You understand that the client is completely wrong. But the client stubbornly insists on his own. What to do? Let's analyze this situation in more detail.

You are right sir, but...

Telling the client directly about being wrong is the worst idea. Each person highly values their own ideas and is not ready for the fact that they can be wrong. Never say "You're wrong" to clients, even if you've worked together for years.

Switch the attention of the client, as is often done with children. For example, tell the client: “You have received interesting idea. Let's work it out. What do you think, if we implement it this way…”, and tell us about your solution to the problem.

Let's finalize

The method is similar to the first. You agree that the client has a great idea and offer to develop it. In the course of the "development" of the idea, it slowly degenerates into another solution that is correct in your opinion. The client believes that his idea is realized, in fact - yours. And everyone is happy.

The main thing in this technique is to change the idea of the client gradually and imperceptibly for the customer.

Link to an expert

If the client asks to do things that cannot be done, you can provide the customer with the results of research or expert materials in which your point of view is defended. This technique is often used by translators. If the client says that the given word is translated incorrectly, you can send him links to dictionary entries, where the meaning of the word chosen by the translator is given. In some cases, clients show doubts only in order to receive arguments from the contractor and make sure of your professionalism.

"Sabotage"

You do as the client asks. The result is so terrible that the client refuses it and returns to your version. This technique is actively used by designers when they are asked to “play with fonts and colors”.

One edit

If you are developing a creative product, the approval of which depends on the subjective opinion of the client, be sure to specify the number and scope of changes in the contract. For example, you are a copywriter. Write in terms of reference text plan. Specify in the contract: if the text is written according to the plan, the client has the right to make one revision, which affects no more than 30% of the text, and then the text is considered approved. This will protect you from clients who edit texts endlessly.

Make Sure You Are Really Right

Anyone can make a mistake, including the performer. Before defending your point of view, make sure that it is correct. It happens that customers are right - and then it is worth listening to their opinion and implementing their ideas.

The program freezes, the taxi is stuck in a traffic jam, the courier is driving too slowly, “I thought it would be green, but this is the color of the sea wave”, “can I get a discount of not 10% but at least 35%”, “and where is the moon from the sky behind these couple of thousand?

We will tell you about ways to politely refuse, which will help you cope with an awkward situation and shamelessly say “no” to a client without ruining your relationship with him.

Ask for clarification

Quite often, customer complaints are emotional, but not very meaningful:

When clients behave in this way, they at least give you the opportunity to ask a clarifying question, such as this:

Of course, you will not replace the new version of the product with the old one, nor will you persuade the retired Vasily to return back, you will not even try. In this case, it doesn't matter.

You will give the client a reason to feel that their opinion is really important to you and that your company cares about it.

By the way, an added bonus is that customer explanations will actually help you solve their problem.

Promise the client to consider his request in the future

Too often, customers take the phrase “any whim for your money” too literally and want from your company what it cannot give them.

Pizza delivery companies don't usually provide trash pickup or dog walking as an added option. And pizza is not always the same as rolls. Companies specializing in organizing children's parties rarely deal with bachelor parties, but sometimes the client does not think so.

It would seem that a simple “no, we deliver pizza, not rolls” would be enough. But this is not entirely true, because:

Firstly, it upsets the client and reduces his potential loyalty (after all, someday he will want pizza),

And secondly, you deprive yourself of an additional and completely free marketing tool.

In order not to upset the client, you can answer something like this:

“Unfortunately, at the moment we are not engaged in the delivery of rolls, but we will definitely think about it. Our company closely monitors customer requests, and if there are enough requests like yours, we will revise our range in the future.”

The client is pleased to know that his request will not disappear and that he was paid attention, even if this is the type of client who tries to order a striptease from a children's party agency.

However, it is important to keep in mind that this kind of polite refusal only works if your company is really ready to change its product line based on customer requests.

But don't lie

No matter how much you want to reassure the client just to get rid of him "here and now", don't do it. Avoid lies and empty promises.

You should not lie to the client that his request will be taken into account and considered if you are not even going to share this information with those who make such decisions.

It is bad to deceive a client, not only because it is unethical, but also because people usually feel good about this kind of insincerity, and your cunning can turn against you.

It's better to upset the client and say "no" than to cheat by saying "We will definitely look into your request." Because after a while, when you forget about him or your unsuspecting colleague or, even worse, your boss takes your place, the stubborn client will call back and ask how things are going with his “Wishlist”.

Say "no" in other words

If you still need to refuse a client's request, you may well do so without using the word "no" at all.

Instead of “No, we don’t have and won’t have a stripper cake,” you can say “Yes, we understand that many people like striptease and groceries and that it would be an interesting move to combine them, but I’m afraid our company is not ready for this and is unlikely we'll have this option someday" or "There's no way we can do this for you at this time, but thanks for taking the time."

An honest but polite response is more likely to leave the door open for future success, and the client won't feel like they've wasted their time with you.

Let the client feel like they've been heard

Very often it is important for people to understand that their problem has been heard and understood. Simple tricks like calling the client by their first name or saying "I understand what you're talking about" still work.

By the way: answer quickly, but not too quickly, so as not to arouse an unpleasant suspicion in the client that you are doing this automatically, without even delving into his problem.

Suggest alternatives

The next most important thing for the client (after getting what he wanted to receive) is the feeling that his request was treated carefully and seriously enough.

At present, when the concept of "deficit" is a thing of the past, and the supply of all kinds of services and goods significantly exceeds demand, the buyer wants to receive not only a product, but also a service. It's no secret that the basis of quality service is the personal attitude of service and sales personnel, which forms the culture of customer service in this company.

How to work with clients in order to form a positive opinion about your company in them, and so that they would like to do business with you? Here are the main recommendations that will help establish effective customer service.

1. Try to be friendly. In fact, it is hard work to remain friendly while working with a client. And who said that working with people is easy?!

Service always starts with a friendly smile and friendly words. It is always more pleasant to communicate with a friendly person, since there is already enough of all kinds of negativity in people's lives. Therefore, it is necessary to make sure that at least the moment of parting with money is pleasant for a person. However, the whole difficulty lies in the fact that it is impossible to force an employee to be friendly and welcoming - it's all about his personal attitude towards customers. If you think you don't have time to build relationships, then you won't last long in sales.

And vice versa - if you have a friendly relationship with a client, then even the strongest competitor will not be able to take him away from you.

2. Say hello to the client, even if he is not yours.. In many organizations, only the seller who earns interest on him greets the client. The rest pretend not to notice him point-blank. Such a position of the staff does not contribute to the increase in the "pluses" in the evaluation of this company by the client.

Therefore, if your eyes meet the eyes of a customer (visitor) whom you do not know and have never even seen, say hello to him. If at the same time you are at a considerable distance from each other, it is better not to shout “hello” across the entire hall, but just nod your head, maintaining eye contact with the person. By greeting the client, you show that you have noticed him and inform you that you are ready to help him if necessary.

3. Thank the client for the order (purchase). Sales staff often don't even feel the need to say "Thank you for your purchase" or "Thank you for choosing us." Sellers act (and they have such faces) as if the buyer is obliged to spend his money with them. Probably, in such a company they simply do not understand that its well-being depends entirely on the number of customers.

What prevents the seller from saying thank you? – Only own unwillingness. But without spending a penny, you thus increase the loyalty of your customers and cause them a positive attitude towards you.

Think, maybe you will thank your customers not only with words, but also in some other way. Every "thinking" business solves this issue in its own way.

4. Thank the client for the call. If the client called you himself, then, when ending the conversation, before saying goodbye to him, thank him for the call. In general, few people do this, then be one of the first. This will require a penny from you, and the client will be pleased to once again realize his importance.

5. Don't hide from customer complaints. If the client complains, then he believes in changes, otherwise he would simply leave you. No need to hide customer dissatisfaction from superiors. It is right when in an organization:
a) the client has the opportunity to convey his dissatisfaction to management;
b) there is a clear procedure for how employees should behave in such situations.
The main thing is that the complaint is promptly responded to, without leaving it unattended.

6. Do not use the expressions "I promise you" and "I give you my word". The fact is that in sales we have to depend on many people: from customs, warehouse, freight forwarders ... And you can’t be 100% sure of anything. Failures, delays and delays occur because many people are involved in any system, and periodic failures are simply inevitable. You cannot guarantee the client that all these people will go according to plan.

Does this mean that we should be irresponsible and not make commitments? Not at all, but you must clearly understand that once you give your word to a client, you jeopardize your reputation.

Replace risky promises to the client with the following expressions:

“Usually we meet the … deadline; If something unforeseen happens, I will inform you immediately.”
"I will personally see to it that everything goes according to plan."
"I will do everything in my power to ensure..."

7. Don't make the customer wait. Nobody likes to wait, and especially customers. When they are forced to wait, they go to competitors. To prevent this from happening, you must:
a) immediately call back customers;
b) respond to customer inquiries by e-mail + fax; answer by e-mail need as fast as phone calls.

8. In case of delays and violation of deadlines, inform the client yourself. What picture can be observed quite often? As soon as the seller finds out that the delivery (manufacturing, completion of work) is delayed, he immediately turns off his phone and disappears, asking his colleagues to “blow it off” in front of the client.

And you need to do the opposite: as soon as you find out about the forced delay, call the client yourself and inform him about it. There is a good reason for this: the seller in the eyes of the client is always extreme. Do not be afraid that he will show you his displeasure. Yes, he will say everything he thinks about this, but let him tell it to you, and not to his friends. In addition, this call will show that you are responsible and do not hide in difficult situations, and the client will be able to change his plans in time.

9. Do not show the client that his order is insignificant for you.. Clients are different - more or less profitable, but they all have one thing in common: no one wants to feel insignificant. If you tell the client that his order is small and not very important to you, you are telling him that he himself is not important to you.

If you want today's "small" client to continue to work with you when he becomes "big", then do not tell him his current order size. You may notice to him that the discounts he asks you for start at such and such an order amount. But you can't say the following:

“When you can buy such volumes as a giant company, then we will be able to offer you…”
“You order so little that we don’t earn anything from you anyway.”
"Your order is being delayed as we have work to complete for a very large client of ours."

Don't be like those salespeople who think that customers are born with or without a lot of money. Clients grow and develop, creating their own capital, some of which they will spend with you if you behave with dignity.

M. Zavadsky

"Sales Mastery"