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Jim Rohn said: “If you make a sale, you can make a living. If you make an investment of time and good service in a customer, you can make a fortune.”
But when dealing with clients, you are not always lucky enough to land angels who have a “Thumbs Up” for your services in respect for your investment of time and effort. Some clients’ needs are hard to interpret and are difficult to please. If you are a worker and public dealer, you might have come across such difficult clients. No matter how well reputed, a customer is a human driven by natural emotions; and when he is paying to get work done, his involvement in a project can get difficult for you to handle.
I have categorized different traits of difficult clients and explained how you can deal with them when you have to. And believe it, you HAVE to.
The Customer Who’s Always Asking For Something Extra
The Big Picture
This group of clients is always proposing changes to your deliverables. Even when requirements are being gathered; he is unable to elucidate what he exactly wants. By the end of the day when you deliver the work, the client shows disapproval or wants every piece to be remodeled. Such clients often compare the end product to that of the leading competitors’ and ask for changes accordingly.
How to Deal With it
Listen carefully to your client’s requirements and make notes. Document them formally and get them signed to avoid any ambiguity on either end. Follow these requirements precisely and don’t deviate. Work in pieces and get every draft approved so that if changes are inevitable, you can incorporate them easily and in time.
Some clients ask for add-ons. You don’t have to be all generous by bowing down to all additional features apart from what you initially agreed to, or you might end up being over worked. Unless you are being paid, you are not bound to go beyond your agreement just for the sake of customer satisfaction.
The Customer Whose Payments Get Overdue
The Big Picture:
A client-worker relation is all about money. Where you are looking for some extra coins, customers want to save a few bucks. Some customers always seem to have budget constraints and they ask for a compromise on your end. Also there are certain customers who schedule payments to be delivered after the work is complete. In such scenarios you have to empty your own pocket to build their skyscraper first.
How to Deal With it:
Be professional and make a settlement before getting to action. Discuss money matters especially for costly projects so that you do not end up begging. It’s a client’s responsibility to invest so have him invest in due time.
If you doubt a client’ payment plan, learn to say “NO”. Limit the number of revisions for a certain cost package. Mention specifically to your customer that any additional work beyond the agreement will be charged separately.
The Customer Who Complains For the Sake of Complaining
The Big Picture:
Very often you come across this breed of clients that has no valid reason to complain and no visible error to point out in your work – but they keep whining that you could have done better. Even if the intentions are not catty, they are never satisfied and so they keep saying it.
How to Deal With it:
Keep in touch with your clients and take his reviews after every addition or update to the first draft. Get things approved before moving on to the next level to avoid running back and forth. Your contract is your shield with such clients so use it whenever being attacked by unwanted and unnecessary complaints.
Your attitude counts a lot to prevent or overcome any conflict of ideas. Show your clients your passion and personal interest in their assignment to develop trust.
The Customer Who Is Not Savvy Enough in the Field
The Big Picture:
This is the client category that has no practical knowledge about the implementation details of the assigned task. For instance if such a client assigns you to design a website, he will be unaware of the time required, technical issues involved and usability concerns. He will impose his likes and dislikes being unaware of the consequences.
How to Deal With it:
When dealing with customers be patient and listen to their point of view and requirements. Never disrespect or neglect their opinions rather explain the other side of the story in simplistic terms. Avoid technical jargon during communication and give them time to comprehend the possible adverse outcome of their preferences. If you do not succeed in convincing them to change their set of requirements, merge your creativity with customer’s choices and come up with better acceptable solutions.
Your customer is unaware of your schedule and wants his task to be delivered as soon as possible. When you close a deal, prepare an estimate of required time for task completion and get it approved by the clients to avoid the risk of falling behind deadline.
The Customer Who Knows it All
The Big Picture:
These are the exact opposites of Number 4. These are the savvy practitioners and professionals who are aware of the nitty-gritties of the task so they poke their nose in every matter giving you no freedom of creativity. They have their own implementation of ideas in their minds and want you to translate their dreams into reality.
How to Deal With it:
Savvy customers are hard to deal with because you have to come up to their expectations and do not get the liberty to work in your own style. The key to dealing with such clients is “Documentation” and “Communication”. Make a note of every bit of information they give and communicate with them along with your progress so that you end up with something as close to the clients’ dream project as possible.
You cannot classify a client’s state of mind when making a deal unless you start working with him. So a general rule of thumb to deal with difficult clients is to be pragmatic, professional and empathetic. Develop a concise service protocol for all clients and follow your principles even if it asks you to say “NO”.
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