Effective Pilates

Dealing with difficult customers

“The customer is King”. Anon.

Working in a service industry can be difficult. The main obstacle is dealing with people, offering them a service, trying to marry everyone’s expectations together with their individual personalities and at times their difficult behaviour in certain circumstances.

The ability to read people and situations is necessary. Knowing how to diffuse a sensitive situation, to deal with an awkward, stress filled scenario, turning it into a calm, effective solution takes skill as well as good judgement, talents that need to be learned and practiced regularly.

The Customer Is Always Right.

Should that read:

The Customer Is Always Right?

This phrase, which has become the mantra for many businesses over the years was coined by Harry Gordon Selfridge in 1909 when he opened his department store in London.

Cesar Ritz, founder of the Ritz hotel chain put it another way – The customer is never wrong.

Consider, why both statements above may be unacceptable.

It upsets employees and other clients

Of the many customers you and your staff will deal with throughout the years a small percentage of them will be just plain bad, petulant or aggressive. If management constantly side with this obviously bad customer simply because they are a customer, the message you send to employees or colleagues is they are not valued or important in any way.

If your are a solo teacher, constantly accepting rude behaviour from a client because you worry if you retaliate you will lose them, will make you resent their appointments. There is also the risk they will upset other class members, you may end up losing the clients who are a pleasure to deal with.

It gives rude customers the edge

Just like an over indulged child the bad customer sees that by demanding more they will get more, so good customers see no benefit. Rather give the good customer more and better care to keep them coming back.

Customers for customer sake?

If your policy is to acquire increasingly more customers whatever their quality and badly behaved customers are constantly sided with against staff or other clients, resentment will build, eventually this attitude will alter the culture of your company and working environment.

Build a happy business

By putting employees and good customers ahead of blatantly wrong customers, they will:

• Be happier
• Be more proactive
• Be more motivated

The alternative is to side with these bad customers to create:

• Employees and good customers who do not feel valued
• A message that fairness is not your policy
• A feeling that everyone must just put up with any bad behaviour from customers

Generally care will diminish; employees will see no benefit to offering a decent level of service let alone consider going the extra mile. Good customers may look for a more pleasant, happier environment to exercise in.

Make your business a happy business
Fire bad customers

Just as customers have expectations from you and your staff, so you and your staff should have expectations of behaviour from customers and if they don’t meet them then eliminate their custom.

It may sound harsh but making it clear you will not accept rude or aggressive behaviour from customers, will create a framework they can relate to.

A women who regularly flew with Southwest airlines, was constantly complaining about customer service, she became known as the “pen pal” as she always wrote a letter of complaint after each flight.

After receiving so many complaints about all aspects of their service, the customer relations people forwarded her latest list of complaints to the CEO, Herb Kelleher with a note “this one is yours”. Almost immediately Kelleher wrote back and said “Dear Mrs Crabapple, we will miss you love Herb”.

It is generally accepted that happy people are more proactive, motivated. When people are happy to go to work, confident their opinions and feelings are considered, they will naturally give of their best freely with integrity.

We are all customers at some point during the day, we know what it is like to experience service that is not genuine. A happy workforce is not scripted; they will not need to be told when to smile or to use a standard phrase that has lost all meaning.

What does this mean in our Pilates Space?

If you want clients to experience and acknowledge excellent customer service, you need to understand them. Learn to see your business from their point of view.

What do Clients want?

Problems solved
To see we are trying
Acknowledgement and understanding
Choices and options
Positive surprises
Consistency and reliability
Value (this can be perceived not just price)
Confidentiality
To feel important
Speed

Part of understanding our clients is to become sensitive to their personality types. Their use of language and body language can indicate how they will respond to us and our programming – maybe a simple questionnaire might help to define them.

Consider the areas that would suggest an indication of a client’s needs, here are just two examples.

• Available time. Knowing when they prefer to exercise you can direct them to the best session to meet their needs and their schedule.
  
  
• Exercise programme they enjoy. This will indicate the intensity and style of exercise they feel happiest with.

Within the scope of the questionnaire give thought to relevant questions that would help further investigate a client’s wants and needs without appearing too intrusive.

Suggestion: Do you prefer to exercise in a group or one to one with a trainer?

Simple I know, but relevant. These open ended questions will also lead to more information gathering to help you create the perfect programme for the client’s particular requirements. It will also highlight any potential objections that may arise as a result of the client’s time management or lifestyle.

Of course there are many reasons that a client becomes agitated and confrontational. Our aim as providers of excellent service is to endeavour to create an atmosphere and environment that enables clients to raise their questions regarding customer care before they become a major stumbling block. The initial information gathering process is a time to encourage new clients to tell you exactly what they expect from you and your business as a benchmark for good service. This information in turn will allow you to understand the customer care needs that should be addressed, and whether or not expectations can be met.

See Article Customer Care, going the extra mile

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