Part Five
Perfect Phrases for Communicating with Difficult Customers

Unhappy customers can demonstrate their dissatisfaction in countless ways: public outbursts, telephone complaints, long letters documenting every conversation, or terse e-mails that copy the boss. And while you must focus on performance when communicating with coworkers and employees (if you’re a manager), you need to focus on feelings when communicating with customers. Are they happy? Will they return? Because usually, the matter that enrages them may amount to as little as a few dollars or a few days they must spend waiting for a service or product. But their unhappiness, frustration, or anger will diminish their loyalty and spread to everyone they talk to about the matter. The resulting costs could be great.

Here are three things all customers want:

Customers want to be heard. Granted, you may be "hearing" them through an e-mail, but the point is the same. Always listen closely—and let them know you’re listening. If you’re communicating in person, don’t forget body language. Look them in the eye. Nod. Pause as you consider what they’re saying. If you’re writing to them, e-mail them right away and make plans for further discussions. And don’t forget: Unhappy customers can tip you off to problems that no one—not you, your boss, or even customer surveys—has noticed.

Customers want to be loved. You know the feeling. You pay for a service. You chose a product or service among many others. And you feel a loyalty to the brand you chose. So naturally, in return you want the company to be loyal to you. In fact, for many customers, the relationship is like a love affair. You need to remind them that you want them around, that you want to please them, and that, above all, they matter—even when they’re angry, dissatisfied, or more generally impossible.

Customers want something special. The best way to soothe savage customers is give them something special. A comfortable place to sit while they wait longer than expected. A coupon for 20 percent off. Or a free cup of coffee. While these tokens of generosity may not cost much in dollars and cents, they’re worth a lot, sometimes as much as a lifetime of devotion.

And yes—you can transform a troubled relationship with a difficult customer into a great business arrangement by applying a few simple strategies and some perfect phrases.