Creating an Excellent First Impression Should not be a Battleground!

I have realised this week that when people go into negotiations over issues with a relationship or product it should not be a battle: you don’t have to put your battle armour on to have an effective conversation with a customer. 

When dealing with a customer that is not happy with the product or service, it's easy to fall into one of two modes: defensiveness or just giving everything away just to get the person off the phone or out of the meeting!

It is important to note that people don't just buy a product or service, they buy an experience and this experience involves people. There is nothing worse for a customer, who in their eyes, has spent a lot of money purchasing your product or service and telling the world how good it is, for an error to happen that causes additional work or challenges. Imagine then if the customer - already feeling let down and aggrieved - has to fight to be heard, is dealt with unsympathetically and the organisation does not budge an inch? How do you think that customer will feel?

It is easy to implement a few simple negotiation tactics to ensure a win-win situation. This is better than either party leaving a meeting with a sour taste in their mouths and questioning the relationship and carefully built up trust within that relationship, and not just the product or service. 

Here are some negotiation tactics to try when dealing with a tricky situation or customer to ensure a win win outcome:

1 - Listen, empathise and ensure to keep calm at the beginning of the conversation.

2 - Ask exactly what they want! Sometimes by cutting to the chase, and asking what they’re looking for, it may be less than you think! Just because customers are upset with a product or service doesn’t mean they want a full refund. Maybe they want a discount, a new product, or something else to appease their frustration. It may just be to be heard. Listen and then ask what they would want to help ease the difficult situation and at least you know where to start from.

3 - Know your “bottom line”: Know exactly how far you’re allowed to go when talking with a customer. If you know there’s absolutely no way you can give a full refund but that you’re able to give 75% back, that’s incredibly important information. You know where the negotiation will have to end, at least before you pass things off to a manager. It’s important to understand where your ending point is so that you have a firm grasp of what you have to offer.

4 - Stress how important they - your customers - are to you: You want customers to understand that although it feels like it’s you vs. them, you’re actually on their side. Stressing how important this conversation is and how vital they are as customers may get you further than you think. It’s hard to be mad at someone who’s expressing that he or she wants to walk away from the conversation feeling heard, appreciated, and satisfied. It will diffuse tension, remind him or her you’re a human being, and hopefully make it easier to come to a compromise.

Customer loyalty is important. People deal with and buy from people whether business to business or business to customer. As I have said, experience is key as people buy from people and put their trust and faith in people not just the organisation they represent. If you don't handle the situation right, you could lose not just a customer but reputation and we all know that brand reputation takes years to build and seconds to destroy.

Most businesses cannot afford this outcome. The answer? Invest in basic customer service training for all your employees whether they directly or indirectly deal with your customers. It will be the best investment you make.

If you need customer service training or need a conversation about customer service for your business, then click here!