How do you deal with rude customers?

I am a fairly nice guy and I could take a few beatings, but do you still continue to pitch even when they get confrontational and personal?

I know there is a line, but I am curious if my line is too small.

Thank you for your input. -Polysquared

Re: How do you deal with rude customers?#2

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It's dependenant on what type of sales you do and how your industry is doing. I generally let everything roll off my shoulders until my managment tells me to be point blank with the guy. I'm never rude to the customer though. Sometimes the customer doesn't realize he is being rude. Simple reality check works well. "Sir, I'm sorry did I do something to offend you?" This works well. -jrboyd

Re: How do you deal with rude customers?#3

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I don't deal well with rude customers.

The first group - two couples - that came into the office today were rude and after a few questions I turned them over to someone else. They didn't get to look at homes today but that isn't my problem. Maybe next time they won't treat the salesperson like a doormat or as someone they can talk down to. The way I see it is that people are people and everybody at one time or another has been or will be rude to others. Some a lot more than others. I'm not going to take responsibility for other people's -grown adults -actions. -Thomas

Re: How do you deal with rude customers?#4

Put the ball back into their court.

Just ask them if they have had a previous bad experience with a similar situation.

Find out what the problem is that they seem to have.

Find the solution, or realize you can not please them, but if they open up, they gave you their answer on how they NEED to be treated.

Ed -Ed The Roofer

Re: How do you deal with rude customers?#5

Good answer Ed.

Typically when some one is rude they have either had a bad experience with a sales person or just a bad day.

Don't take it personally. Show some compassion and attempt to get to the bottom of their bad mood.

If it turns out that they really are an ahole, you then have the choice to tell them nicely, you don't want to work with them. -Jim Klein

Re: How do you deal with rude customers?#6

Rude prospects and customers are a difficult conversation. If someone starts off abrupt or rude I try to diffuse:
"It appears you have alot going on today, would it be better for you if we rescheduled for another time?" 90% of the time they realize they are being difficult, apologzie and relax and many times end up being great clients.

I have walked out once in the middle of a sales presentation. After about 30 mins of a constant barrage of derogatory comments about sales people, early reps from company and then me. I just started packing up my things, got up and calmly walked out without saying a word. Got into my car - and then let a few explatives go.

It is a tough thing and Jim Klein is right it is rarely personal and often reflects on the difficulites that person is experiencing both personally and/or professionally. Last summer I had a meeting with a long term client whom I had always had very pleasant and positive interactions with. When I showed up he was pretty abrupt with me and just short of rude. I just sat back and let him go, after about 5 mins he told me a disgruntled employee had just filed a false complaint with OSHA and it was taking all of his time to resolve the issue, a lot of money and he was hurt by the accusation as he feels he is a very fair and generous employer (which I believe he is). So it was not AT ALL about me.

Grace and compassion are important - in anything we do.

Kathy -Kathy Hokunson

Re: How do you deal with rude customers?#7

I typically am the lucky one at our place of business to receive the diffiuclt rude ,angry ,buyers remorse clients.The reason I let the cliet vent. I listen to what they state. I hear what they are really saying. I ask questions that get the client back on track. I od not take what they say personally.I understand that I am the tip of the iceberg.

I am not a doormat.With the very rude client I explain to them I am not a doormat.If we want to communicate that we need to calm down and go over this like adults. Once the client calms down and I give them the time to calm down we now can progress.It is impossible to win them all over.

Usually I start out asking for cooperation.I really do not care how small the co-operation is, any is what I am looking for.It can be as simple as asking for a drink of water from them or a pen and paper. Anything to get them to help me.

The second item I attempt I lower my voice so they must lean forward to listen. Once I have the client elaning forward to hear what I say I now have some type of co-operation. I alos have a sign from them that they are seeking to understand and hear what I have to say.

Sometimes during this process I mirror what they are doing ,folding arms hand to chin etc. Then after two or three mirroring techniques I then see if they will mirror my actions.If they do I am on the right track.

Phone conversations are tougher. .The venting is a difficult item to stop and it is tougher to get them to understand a different point of view. I will allow them to vent and after they have completed the vent I ask for a time to meet. I am never confrontational with the client -rich34232

Re: How do you deal with rude customers?#8

I agree with Kathy, having been dealt with myself by a german immegrant girl when I discovered 100 miles later that a very expensive (for me) cross pen didn't work. When I returned trailing more smoke than a locomotive and stormed into the little jewelry shop and unloaded on this little 5 foot something, she laughed. Huh? That was for me like saying... "hey... take a break and come back when we can talk about how you want me to make it better... which were her next words... make it better?... was I behaving childishly? And lastly.... is there anything else I can do?

Life lesson for me... this is why some of the best salesman/women don't have to have no schooling.... But she recognized that communication right then wasn't going to happen and she did it her way... essentially... "yer having a bad day... let's postpone this... forever... bgwnk;

shds; -rattus58

Re: How do you deal with rude customers?#9

I get the sense that you are having a rough day and talking with me is not the most important thing on your to do list. When would be a better time for us to meet? -jdedwa11

Re: How do you deal with rude customers?#10

What you do not do is allow the rude customer to bring you down to their level. If after an attempt to reason with them fails, then choose not to do business with them. There are no rules that say you have to take verbal abuse from anyone. That is my opinion. -MPrince

Re: How do you deal with rude customers?#11

I always apologize first, sincerely and graciously. Then I ask the customer how we should proceed. This puts the ball in their court, but it's so open-ended that usually, they will tell me what's going on. Often it's an apology, but sometimes it's something else (even when I on occasion have offended someone without knowing it).

Having said that, there's definitely a line that, if crossed, will result in me firing the prospect. I agree with Martha and others that we should not be doormats.

Skip -Skip Anderson

Re: How do you deal with rude customers?#12

I might ask myself....Are they being rude or is this a defensive mechanism. It is a known fact that allot of people don't like sales people...I know..I was shocked too! The fact is..sometimes people do not know how to react when cornered by their sales person even when they have already purchased the product. They think that sales people are only out to make a buck and they continue to have their radar up when you are around and then on the other hand you have those people that are just not nice and will never be nice. That's when you take an Advil and get botox to have a permanent smile on your face so you don't break from the nicey nice when you are around them.. -Phonegirl