1.08

1. 1.08 Resolve conflicts with/for customers to encourage repeat business

2. Handle Difficult Customers

3. 3 Main Types of Difficult Customers • Disagreeable • Unpleasant and hard to help • Domineering/ Superior: • Feel they know more and are better than the average person • Overly confident • Dishonest: • Intentionally attempt to avoid paying part or all of the price for a good or service

4. Categories of Disagreeable Customers • Argumentative: • Seem to look for problems and disagree • Impatient: • Show verbally and nonverbally that they do not want to wait • Leave-me-alone: • Don’t want any assistance or advice

5. Categories of Disagreeable Customers • Irritable/Moody: • Display any attitude that is difficult to deal with • Insulting: • Make unpleasant remarks or use foul language • Complaining • Think everything is wrong

6. Categories of Disagreeable Customers • Slow/Methodical: • Hesitant to make buying decisions • Require a lot of time to decide

7. Categories of Domineering/Superior Customers • Suspicious: • Want facts and proof before making the final buying decision • Question everything you tell them • Has had previous bad experiences with other businesses

8. Ways Customers are Dishonest • Always trying to take advantage of employees • Do not pay for products • Theft, pilferage or shoplifting • Purchase goods–use them–and return them • Switch or alter prices in store • Damage goods in store and then ask for discounts

9. Situations when Customers become Difficult • Problems with merchandise • Broken or damaged items • Changed mind • Problems with company • Rude treatment by an employee

10. Why Attempt to Handle Difficult Customers? • “The Customer is ALWAYS right” • Strong Customer Service (aka successful handling of difficult customers) = • Loyal customers who will spend money again • Advantage over the competitors (steal away their customer) • Word of Mouth

11. General Guidelines for Handling Difficult Customers • Be a good listener • Think before you respond • Be detached and professional • Do not offer excuses • Involve senior management if needed • Be aware of the rules • Know your company’s customer-facing processes inside-out • Empathize • Show the customer you understand their situation • Resolve the issue • Actively initiate a process to tackle the customer’s complaint • Tell the customer the steps you propose to take

12. Quiz Preview • #4 A ________ customer questions everything a sales rep tells them. • Disagreeable • Suspicious • Domineering/Superior • Slow/Methodical • #2 How is it best to handle a disagreeable customer? • Use product knowledge • Listen patiently and try to stay calm • Ask them to come back when they are ready to buy • Speed up the sale to minimize opportunity for disagreement • #6 Which type of customer requires extra effort to close the deal? • Slow/Methodical • Dishonest • Domineering/Superior • Disagreeable • #3 "I'd like to have that in writing before I give you my money," best describes the __________ customer. • dishonest • disagreeable • suspicious • slow/methodical

13. Difficult Customer Assignment • Search the internet and find 3 cases of difficult customers. • Use search topics such as: • “worst customer ever” • “bad customer stories” • “difficult customer stories” • For each of the 3 cases answer the following: • What was the situation? • What type of difficult customer was this? • Why do you believe they are that type of difficult customer? • How was the situation handled/resolved? • Complete in PowerPoint and submit to Edmodo by the end of class.

14. Handle Customer Complaints

15. Complaint A customer’s dissatisfaction expressed orally, silently or in writing • Some customers actually express the true reasons • Others do not tell the real reasons • These customers normally conceal the real complaint • Example: • Customer returns a pair of shoes due to the “color of the shoe” but the real reason was the high price • Salesperson must skillfully question and inspect the product to discover the real complaint

16. 3 Main Reasons for Customer Complaints Some complaints are justified, while others aren’t • Products • Poor quality • Improper buying decisions (lack of assistance from salesperson) • Personnel • Pushy and rude salespeople • Gives incorrect information • Business • Type of business offered or lacking • Example: Refusing to accept a credit card • Don’t follow policy • Examples: Don’t take back a return

17. Costs of Customer Complaints • Loss of sales • Present and Future • One dissatisfied customer may tell 10 other potential customers • Damaged Brand Image • Additional Recordkeeping and Paperwork • Equals TIME • Markdowns on Returned Goods • ½ of returned goods are resold but at a reduced prices

18. Benefits of Customer Complaints • Goodwill • Properly settling complaints will promote goodwill (positive feeling towards the business) • Increased sales • Repeat customers and may tell others • Buying information • Use previous complaint information to prevent future complaints

19. IMPORTANCE OF APPROPRIATELY HANDLING CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS • Should: • Be immediate • Be effective • Offer customer satisfaction • Follow company policy • Follow company procedure

20. Handling Customer Complaints:POLICY • Develop Company Policy • General rules followed by personnel • Avoids misunderstandings • Fair & consistent treatment of customers • Flexible for interpretation by management • Based mainly on customer satisfaction

21. Handling Customer Complaints:PROCEDURES • Develop Company Procedures • Step by step processes for performing specific tasks when handling a customer complaint • Listen for the reason of the complaint • Thank the customer for bringing the problem to your attention • Restate the Complaint to make sure you are on the same page • Investigate the problem • Explain company policy to the customer • Take action to solve the complaint

22. WHEN HANDLING COMPLAINTS A SALESPERSON MUST REMEMBER: • Take action based the solutions that are possible within the business's policies • Prevent customer complaints by accurately determining each customer's needs • Suggesting appropriate products to meet those needs • General Steps to successfully handling a customer complaint • Salesperson must fully understand a customer's complaint • Decide if the complaint is justified • Investigate the problem to determine how the situation can be handled within company policy

23. Quiz Preview • #8 Quick action is vital when dealing with customer complaints because: • Please the customer • Saves the manager time • Makes the situation easier to handle • Eliminates the need to investigate the problem • #12 Complaints on returned items can be costly for a business: • Because returns require additional record keeping • Because business must discard returned items • Because returns increase the business’s taxes • Because businesses cannot sell returned items • #5 What should you do to determine whether a customer's complaint is justified? • Ask a supervisor • Take immediate action • Restate the complaint • Investigate the problem • #7 A good way for salespersons to prevent customer complaints is by • accurately determining each customer's needs. • showing customers high-priced products. • pressuring customers to buy quality products. • asking the customer a lot of personal questions.

24. Unit 1 Project Part 8 • As CEO of a new team/sport, it is your responsibility to have a plan in place for handling customer complaints. • The best way to handle customer complaints is to have policies your employees can follow: • Slide 17: Policies for: • Fan Code of Conduct (acceptable behavior during events) • Tickets (buying, refunds, lost/stolen, etc) • Slide 18: Policies for: • Alcohol • Smoking • Banners • Use the Carolina Panthers website as a reference for your policies (at the bottom on the home page) • Continue along with Unit 1 Project Part 7. Complete and submit to Edmodo by the end of class.