Bad Customers: How to Deal with Them

Some customers are hard-to-please because they have high standards. While in the short term it can be a struggle to satisfy them, in the long term they’ll respect you. There’s also a good chance they’ll recommend you to other prospects.  

Bad customers, on the other hand, are only looking to exploit your products or services. No matter how hard you try, they will never be satisfied and will always find something to complain about.  

As much as you want to avoid bad customers, one of these days, you will encounter one. You need to be prepared on how to handle them effectively.  

As a Florida internet marketing company that offers reputation management to small business owners and entrepreneurs, we are going to share some tips that will help you effectively deal with problematic customers.  

Why Is It Important to Effectively Handle Bad Customers?

Working with bad customers or clients will cost you money, decrease your employees’ morale, and impact your relationship with other customers.

That’s why it’s better if you just cut them off.  

But, before you do that, you want to provide the proper customer service first. It might turn a negative situation into a positive one and leave your bad customers feeling more impressed after your interaction.  

Aside from this, you want to show other customers that you’re sincere in providing excellent customer service to everyone.

As an internet marketing company in Florida that offers PR and reputation management to small businesses and entrepreneurs, we believe that being kind and demonstrating empathy amidst conflict can help boost your image.  

How to Deal with Problematic Customers

1. Assess the value of keeping a specific problematic customer.

Typically, it costs more to acquire a customer than it does to keep one. That’s why, as much as possible, you want to retain all your customers.  

However, it’s not always worth it, especially when you’re dealing with a problematic client.  

Here’s how to assess if you should keep a bad customer or not:

• Check how many touchpoints it takes before you can convince them to buy again. Are you generating profit from this customer more than they're incurring a cost for your business? If they're costing you more than they're paying, it might be time to let them go.  
• Ask yourself the consequences of losing this particular client. Will it put you and your business in a situation where the risk is too great? If it will, then you should consider having a chat with them.  

2. Invite this customer to sit down and have a conversation with you.

Once you’ve determined whether it’s best to continue engaging in business with a customer, it’s time to have a conversation with them. During your talk, you want to:

• Be honest about your concerns.  
• Be transparent but professional about how you and your staff feel.
• Set clear boundaries and manage their expectations. Let them know what you can and can’t do for them.  
• Get your clients and your employees on the same page. Make sure everyone understands how the relationship will proceed moving forward.

3. Help customers find a better fit.

If you’ve decided to let go of a client or a customer, refer them to another company.  

Sometimes, a problematic customer is just incompatible with your small business. Help them find another company that might be better suited to handling their needs.

If they end up being a good fit, you can make a customer happy and make friends in the industry.  

As an internet marketing company in Florida, we suggest that you ask the other company first if they’re interested in taking the referral.  

4. Let go of your problematic customer.

Did you know that for most businesses, 80% of their income comes from 20% of their customers?  

Letting go of your problematic clients allows you to focus on the 20% that deserves it.  

If you’ve done everything on your part to make a problematic customer happy, but there’s still no progress, don’t be afraid to end the relationship.  

However, you don’t want to end things on a bad note. It’s much better to walk away gracefully and move on without any drama.  

Here are some tips on how to deliver bad news to a problematic customer:

• The right person should deliver the news. You or the manager should talk to the customer. Don’t involve the employee they have a problem with.  
• Be firm and consistent. Don’t cower when things get heated up. Stay calm and don’t let anything sway your decision.  
• Keep calm and be kind. Remember, even the worst customers deserve to be treated with respect.  Show empathy towards your customer and offer to help them transition out of your business.  

How to Attract Better Customers?

To avoid dealing with problematic customers, you only want to attract those who are right for your company.  

So, how can you find this type of customer?

• Create a detailed customer persona. This will serve as a guide on who you want to target when running your ad campaigns.
• Assess if a potential customer needs your product. Not everyone who seems like a good fit for your business needs what you have to offer.  
• Set expectations. Make sure you clearly state what your products can and can’t do, or the scope of your services.  

• Don’t commit to a new customer if you know you can’t serve them. Refer them instead.  
• Price your products and services fairly. If you want to price your offering higher, then prepare to provide high-touch services to your clients.  

Are You Having Difficulty Dealing with a Bad Customer?

Dealing with difficult customers can teach you invaluable lessons you can use to improve your products and services.

Bad customers, on the other hand, are a dead end. Don’t let them bring down your sales and affect your relationship with other customers.  

Use this blog to help you identify them early on and take the appropriate action!

Digital Resource is a Florida internet marketing company that offers reputation management and public relations services to small businesses and entrepreneurs who want to boost their image, brand value, and visibility online.  

Contact us today if need to work on improving your online reputation!  

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