Dealing with Client From Hell.

We’ve all had one—that annoying client who is never happy, constantly calls with complaints or changes their mind every other day about what they want. No matter how professional, talented and accommodating you are, these difficult clients come along. It’s important to know how to deal with these difficult clients to help ease the unwanted turmoil and stress they cause.  Here are some tips for dealing with the client from hell.

Prevent your clients from becoming difficult to deal with

Every client is different so a one-size-fits-all approach won’t always work. That being said, there are things you can do to assess the reason your client is being difficult and then attempt to address their needs.  Many clients feel nervous when they don’t completely trust you or aren’t familiar with your work.  Show clients you know what you’re doing. If they call constantly wanting an update on progress, try to give them a more detailed explanation of your progress and offer to let them know when new stages are rolled out.

Remind clients of similar projects you’ve worked on and demonstrate past successes. This may help to ease the difficult client’s fears about your ability to successfully carry out the job. Always make sure to be up front with clients about the scope of the project, what the fees cover and what their expectations are. Make it clear that any changes to the plan will need to be discussed and renegotiated.  Try not to make guarantees or promises you might not be able to keep and inform clients about any changes or problems that arise from the original agreement.

Build Rapport

Whenever possible, try to build a good rapport with each of your clients. Learn about their professional expertise, their style and preferences and any particular hobbies or interests they have. Developing at least some rapport with a client will prevent them from becoming too difficult to deal with when a problem arises.

Listen

We all have the tendency to become defensive when someone criticizes our work. When clients express discontentment or concerns over the work, try not to take it personally and genuinely listen to them. Try to take note of their preferences and welcome feedback so you can accurately address their concerns and avoid more problems with them in the future.

Empathize and demonstrate understanding

A little patience goes a long way with a client. As hard as it may be to stomach what a client is telling you, attempt to empathize with them and put yourself in their shoes.  You may help diffuse the anger they feel if you approach them with an empathetic attitude.  Try to repeat what their frustrations or concerns are to ensure they know you understand what they’re telling you so you can move forward.

Bite your tongue

As hard as it may be, and as rude as the client from hell might be speaking to you, try to bite your tongue. You may be right and justified in telling them off, however this won’t help the situation and in many cases will make it even more difficult to deal with them in the future.  Word of mouth is one of the best ways to gain clients—or lose them. Remember that your client will likely tell others about the experience they have with you (or your company) and this can be very bad for business.

Offer solutions and summarize next steps

If your client comes to you with a complaint, always try to offer solutions and make sure that the client is clear about what next steps will be taken. If the client still isn’t happy with the solutions you offer, ask them directly what they would like to see happen. Make sure you follow up with the steps that are agreed upon and highlight actions you take to the client.  

Unfortunately you will encounter the “client from hell” every so often.  It’s important to try to deal with these clients in the best way possible to keep up the relationship, avoid negative press and limit personal anxiety.  When clients become so rude and volatile that they make your work life miserable and you simply can’t work with them, you may have to make a tough decision about whether to keep their business or end the working relationship.

sources: jobstreet.com