How to handle difficult customer - Improving my communication skill and techniques

[Yew Jin]

Hi guys,

I need some help or reference to improve my communication skill and techniques that how to handle the difficult customer when talking to them.

I found that I am poor in answering their difficult answer such as "We want it now, when can you delivery the product?" when we have the quality issue in manufactuirng plant.

Hope I can get the reference in website, file in pdf or even in ppt.

[harry]

This is a complex subject. I doubt anybody can help you in anyway within the constraints of a forum. Why not contact MIM (Malaysian Institute of Management), Penang. They have a 2 day course on the Art and Skills of handling difficult people/employee. (I have nothing to do with them)

[Jennifer Kirley]

Harry had good advice.

In addition to Harry's good advice, I found a few web sites to read:

http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Han...Keys&id=416585
http://www.customerservicemanager.co...versations.htm
http://ezinearticles.com/?Verbal-Aik...mers&id=417396

Finally, a book like this might help: http://www.businesstitles.com/cat/ma...t/howt6031.htm

[SteelMaiden]

The references that you've been given are excellent ideas. I cannot really tell from your profile "Quality Engineer" exactly where you fit into your organization, but you (your company) needs to have a plan for these types of things. It appears that you are not the only involved in figuring out what the problems you referred to are and how to fix them. It looks like you need to get the key players together and get a plan together so you have concrete information to give to your customer.

[BradM]

Hello Yew!

I don’t really have anything scientific per se, but I always like trying to help.

You are asking for communication skills and techniques. I have read enough of your posts that you are a fairly bright man. Let’s play “what’s the real problem” for a moment:

• Is your concern that the customer’s questions make you nervous and uncomfortable? Is it because you don’t know the answer to their questions, or because you know the answers, and it probably is not what they want to hear?
• Are you dealing with people in your native language, or are these people with different languages?
• Are these typical questions, or are they hitting you with unusual questions? Is it your job to answer these questions, or does somebody else have this knowledge?

Most important, don’t stress. If you haven’t visited the thread on stress, you might want to. I think all of us can benefit from it.

[fusball223]

Hi Yew,
Jus my inputs based on my own experiences..... In a lot of occassions, the more info we put across to the customers, the more the customers are invovled in our situation in our company. The lesser surprises they get.
People react to surprises....

In cases where we oredi messed up [which is common in the real world], i personally think that there is only 2 ways of coping with it. One, to think of possible excuses which I do not recommend. Or to face the music and think our how not to let it happen again. Share the findings with your customer and prove it over time that things are improving.

I would think that rapport and good communications channel have to be built over time, thru good & bad times.

Hope it helps.......