As an Account Manager and someone on the front line dealing with clients every day, you've inevitably come across a difficult or upset client. Whether the source of their discord is down to the agency or not, it can be unnerving if a client decides they will take their anger out on you. The more practice you have dealing with strained situations with the client the easier it is to manage. However, when this happens in the early days you can take it personally. So here are 10 quick tips for handling a difficult, angry client:
1. Listen
Listening intently without being defensive is the easiest way to diffuse an angry client so give them your full attention and try not to interrupt.
2. Prove you listened
Make sure the client knows your attention is 100% focussed on them. You can do this by asking them follow up questions, getting clarification of key points and responding with phrases like 'I see", 'I understand'. You can also re-state what the client has told.
3. Remain calm
Even if you think the client has got it completely wrong or is being unreasonable, if you let them see that the situation will get worse. Therefore try not to get hooked in to their emotion and control your own reaction. Don't get sucked into the blame game.
4. Validate the client
Firstly the client has an emotional need that should be addressed first which is that they need to know they're heard and understood. It's futile trying to talk about solving a problem if the client is very upset and just needs to let it out. Validating the client is not about accepting blame, it's about recognising that the client is upset and very uncomfortable with the situation as it stands. If we don't recognise this and verbally validate their emotions, we won't get past this stage.
5. Ask questions
Ask for permission to ask a few questions e.g. 'Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?'. This is the time to get to the heart of the matter, don't avoid tough questions and dig deep. Use softening statements such as 'I can see why that made you angry, what happened then?'.
6. Apologise if it's obvious the agency is at fault
Many clients will be appeased by an apology. It's a sign the company is taking responsibility. It's not necessarily about taking blame, it's about expressing regret that the client has experienced the situation e.g. 'I'm really sorry that you were inconvenienced by this'.
7. Be politely powerful with a client in error
If the client is in fact wrong and mis-representing the facts or cannot see that it's their mistake, start by digging deeper. Then double-check the facts and figures, ensure you gather all the information you need e.g. 'This may be wrong, but according to the time line delivery was scheduled for the day after tomorrow?'. Tonality is key. You can also use another softening phrase such as 'I'm glad you pointed that out to me, I can see where it would be confusing'. This level of empathy goes a long way to making the client feel ok and keep things even keeled.
8. Deliver a solution
As you're trying to build a long-term relationships, make sure you acknowledge quickly what action you could take immediately to rectify the problem. Never be sarcastic or non-emotional. Always look concerned and be sympathetic to what's happened.
9. Be politely assertive with unreasonable clients
If it's clear that it'll be very difficult to satisfy the client and it seems they won't be happy with any solution you offer, ask questions to help you get through. Examples such as 'What would you like to see happen next'? 'What's the best thing I can do right now to resolve this for you?'. This 'bats' the conversation back to the client.
10. Thank the client and follow up
While it can be uncomfortable at the time, it's better to have a dissatisfied client tell you their problem so you can fix it rather than them stay quietly upset without saying a word. No matter how heated it has got, always call to follow up with the client afterwards and let them know you appreciate they brought the matter quickly to your attention and gave you an opportunity to fix it. What has worked well for you when trying to pacify an angry client?
