Lesson 5: Difficult Customers

Mama’s Subs

Difficult Customers

Mastering interactions with difficult customers involves five steps :1. Determining the reason for the problem2. Identifying the root cause 3. Rectifying the situation 4. Restoring the relationship5. Fixing what needs to be fixed

Difficult Customers

By the end of this lesson you should know:How to determine the reason for a customer’s

problem calmly and with empathy With the available information, how to determine the

root cause of the problem How to rectify the situation once you have the root

cause How to restore the broken relationship between the

customer and Mama’s Subs How to fix the problem so that it does not happen

again

Step 1: Determining the reason for the problem

The first step is the most critical: it is where you find out why the customer is upset

What you say and how you say it are important

Remember, your customer is upset; you do not want to do anything to make them more frustrated

Determining the reason for the problemApologize

The first words you should say are, “I’m sorry” It is important to apologize to the customer, whether or

not you or Mama’s Subs is at faultAssure the customer you are going to help

When you give your assurance up front, it can help you put your customer in a different frame of mind

EX: “I’m so sorry that happened, ma’am. I’ll be happy to help you.”

Restate the customer’s opening statementCustomers who are upset or angry may not

communicate well.By first repeating their opening statement, you will

ensure you are on the right track

Determining the reason for the problem

Listen carefullyAfter assuring the customer you are going to help,

listen to the details of the problem without interrupting.

Listen to the complaint, and you will discover why the customer is upset

Write down key detailsPay attention to clues that will help you understand

what happenedMake note of details that will help you solve the

problem (e.g., who the customer was giving orders to at the time of the incident)

Determining the reason for the problemDisplay empathy

Before you proceed, let the customer know that you understand their feelings

Try to put yourself in the customer’s shoesNo matter how the customer speaks to you, look at

the problem from their perspective

Remain Composed It is important that you stay composed from the

beginning to the end of your interaction with a difficult customer

Becoming defensive and mirroring a customer’s behavior will only agitate the customer further

By maintaining self-control, you will give yourself time to analyze the cause for the customer’s frusteration

Step 2: Identifying the root cause

Once you determine why the customer is upset, your next step is to figure out the cause of the problem

It is not enough to simply know the reason for the problem; you have to dig deeper to determine the root cause

Identifying the root cause Investigate the situation

Once you have determined what the problem is, ask the customer politely to hold on while you find out what happened

This may mean asking fellow coworkers if they know anything about the situation

It may also mean going to the restaurant manager to explain the situation and determine if they know anything

Determine if the customer has a valid complaintAfter investigating and gathering information, determine

whether the customer’s complaint is legitimate Even if you cannot determine a valid cause for the

compliant, it may still be advisable to rule in favor of the customer You may not know who was responsible for the problem, but that

does not mean the customer’s complaint is invalid

Identifying the root cause

Apologize again if necessary If your investigation leads to the conclusion that

someone at Mama’s Subs is at fault, take responsibility and apologize again

Apologizing again reiterates your concern and desire to make things right with difficult customers

Explain what happened Keep emotion out of your voice and be strict to the factsBe truthful, even if it means saying Mama’s Subs made

a mistake (you will not be fired for telling the truth)Covering up, behaving evasive, or lying is not an

acceptable policy

Step 3: Rectifying the situation

You have investigated the situation and determined the cause of the problem; now it is time to offer a solution

If you can rectify the problem to the customer’s satisfaction, you get off easy

More than likely, that is not going to be the case, and you are going to offer a solution a customer does not want to hear

What you say and how you say it make a big difference in the customer’s response

Rectifying the situation

Tell the customer what you will do to solve the problemSpeak clearly and explain specifically what you will

be able to do to rectify the problem If you are handling a customer who is extremely

upset or difficult, take a deep breath to calm your nerves and think about what you will say before proceeding

Focus on what you can doAlways focus on the positive and state what you are

able to do rather than what you cannot doThis will put you in the right mindset to help the

customer no matter how difficult to handle the problem may be

Rectifying the situation Offer your best solution

By offering the best solution you can, you will sound more confident when presenting your solution

Putting yourself in the customer’s shoes will help you understand how your solution may be received

Never assign blame to the customer When you offer your solution, do not fault the customer When you are trying to help a difficult customer, it is never

wise to blame them Similarly, never shirk responsibility by blaming another

employee As a representative, you speak for the whole restaurant

Use “I” or “we” when referring to Mama’s Subs to show you are accountable

Rectifying the situation Show compassion

If the customer expresses dissatisfaction with your solution (and this is very likely to occur), let them know that you understand

You may not be able to fix the problem in the manner the customer may like, but you can at least show you care

Offer an alternative solution If your best solution is not suitable for the customer, try

to find something that will work If you do not know how to resolve a problem, ask for the

customer’s input Then work together to come up with a realistic solution that

is mutually accepted

Rectifying the situation

Contacting a restaurant manager If you are unable to come up with a solution to help the

customer, contact your restaurant manager to talk with them

If your restaurant manager is not available, take down the customer’s information and assure them that they will be contacted by the manager about their issue

In some cases, customers prefer to talk to managers about issues This is perfectly normal Do not take the request personally Grab the manager or take down the customer’s information

if the manager is unavailable

Step 4: Restoring the relationship

What you say next can go a long way in mending the broken relationship

When the bond is broken, you have to work hard to rebuild it

Restoring the relationship Thank the customer for allowing you to help them

After satisfactorily resolving the customer’s problem, go one step further and thank them

You cannot take back what happened, but you can say something to let your customers know you value them

Tell the customer what you will do to avoid the problem in the futureLet the customer know that resolving the problem is

important to Mama’s Subs State what steps you will take to avoid future

occurrencesWhen you take the time to acknowledge that there is a

problem that can be fixed, it makes the customer feel valued

The customer will feel they are part of the solution

Restoring the relationship

Offer some sort of compensation or restitutionGive the customer something more than is asked for,

even if it is only a symbolic gesture (e.g., one free sub and combo coupon)

Doing this will not make the problem go away, but it will make the customer feel good about you and Mama’s Subs

Make a follow up call or visitAs a courtesy to your customer, follow up to make sure

the solution was satisfactoryThis shows the customers that you are willing to go

above and beyond to make sure they are taken care of

Step 5: Fixing what needs to be fixed

When you take care of a customer’s problem to his or her satisfaction, you feel good

Unless you fix what went wrong, however, the same type of problem is likely to happen again

Fixing what needs to be fixed

Analyze what went wrong Sometimes this will not be easyFor example, if the problem was cause by

another employee, it will be difficult to determine exactly where they went wrong

Still, something can be done to avoid potential problems

A restaurant manager can be informed about the situation and may ask all employees to verify and clarify what went wrong

Fixing what needs to be fixed

Review Mama’s Subs policies and proceduresThis information can be found in the employee handbook If you are having frequent complaints in one area, analyze

the policies and procedure If you feel like something in the handbook needs to be

changed, notify your restaurant manager as soon as possible They can send a report to headquarters with a request to alter

the policy/procedure

Change to make things betterWhen you are part of a solution, you will be more satisfied

with the work you doAs a voice for Mama’s Subs, you can make a difference in

the lives of customers