Great Expectations!

Sometimes it appears that people just keeping asking for more and more and expecting even more! Personally, I have seen people ask for things so out of the ordinary that I found it difficult to believe they actually thought they were entitled to it. But, they did. Go figure.

People have certain expectations and those expectations were not formed just 2 minutes ago. Our expectations are formed far earlier by how we were treated in the past and what we remember from past experiences. The technical term for this is called "emotional baggage".

The more emotional baggage a person has, the more likely that he will make higher and higher demands. If someone has been hurt or taken advantage of in the past they will likely seek more and more now because of those experiences. Plus, they likely will have greatly reduced patience with you and the situation.

While all of this is understandable to a certain extent, we also will come in contact with people who expect things just because they want them. Whether or not their demands are based in any sort of reality does not enter into play. These are the people that are both easy to deal with and more difficult to satisfy.

From the time I first started working, I always wanted to do the right thing when it came to customers. Whether it was cutting their lawn as a child or handling their requests as a service manager, I always tried to do what was right. I also tried to do whatever it took to keep them as a customer. Sometimes it was enough and sometimes it wasn't. The bottom line is that I always did my best and never walked away feeling I had not done everything possible to resolve the problem.

To me, that is the key. You do whatever you can to help every single customer. You give them the best and most accurate information you can possible give them. You respond to them in a timely fashion and you provide your products at a fair and competitive price. If a problem should arise, you do whatever you can to help them. If you do all of these things, most problems will disappear by themselves.

But what do you do when the customer from hell walks through your door with all kinds of demands? How do you handle the customer who buys something worth $5 and then asks for $5,000 worth of compensation because he had a problem? Again, I would just do my best to resolve the situation.

People with outrageous demands rarely listen to facts or reason. They want what they want and will accept nothing else. They will threaten and bully, and yell, and scream. They want attention, they crave attention, and they are focused on getting it now!

When I encounter this kind of customer, I always tell them what I CAN do for them. I never tell them what I can't do or what my policies are because they just don't care about that. Instead, I concentrate on the things I can do to help them. I try to remain positive and use positive words when speaking to them. I never use the words can't, won't or other negative words. When people hear them you can see the "wall go up" and they just tune out.

I try to provide a few different resolutions and attempt to find the one that has the greatest chance of making this particular customer happy. Some of the time this works and I have saved a customer. That is a good felling. But sometimes, I make no headway at all. Heck, sometimes, it just gets worse because the customer does not get everything they demand. In those cases, my best just was not good enough. I don't consider it a failure and often looking back, I am comfortable with how I handled things.

It is important to understand that all demands are not reasonable and you should not be expected to give people what they want just because they ask for it. You should take several things into consideration and make an informed decision based on that information. If it makes sense to give this customer more than you normally would because he is a big customer, then so be it. But, you should never give in just because someone demands it.

Some people don't care about anyone but themselves. While these people are a minority, these are the ones we remember because of their attitudes and demands. These people do not care about you or your business. They want what is best for them and that is all they care about. You do not have that luxury as you need to balance customer needs against you business needs. You need to do this for one important reason.

In order for you to be there to support your customers, you need to stay in business. In order to stay in business you need to make a profit. In order to make a profit, you have to make sales and monitor expenses. If you act foolishly and make concessions to everyone who walks through the door, then you place the health of your business at risk. How would you be able to support your other customers if you go out of business?

Demands are just a starting point for negotiations. Both parties make demands or offers that include room for negotiation. Each side gives up something until a resolution can be agreed upon. When both parties are able to do this, a solution is often at hand. When only one party is willing, nothing is usually accomplished.

I tell people that I train that they should have one goal in mind whenever they start interacting with a customer. That goal should be that when the customer walks out the door, that they look back and honestly feel that they did their absolute best in dealing with that customer. I tell them that if they feel they did all they could and it wasn't enough, that they should not feel defeated or that they had failed. They should use the experience as a learning tool and move on to the next customer.

If you are able to do that, you will move on a little wiser and a little more confident in yourself and your ability to help your customers.

David V. Greis
The Customer Service Training Institute
http://www.infowhse.com