In my next talk on how to deal with difficult clients I’ll be addressing a number of issues that have yet to be mentioned on this blog. One of theses is what you can do and what you should avoid doing if a client gets angry with you. Here are a few tips:
Do
- Stay calm.
- Allow the client to ‘let off steam’; gently interrupt by reinstating what they have just said, then move the conversation on.
- Listen well and let the client know that you have heard and understood.
- Acknowledge their anger, empathise if appropriate.
- Try to establish the cause of their anger; and do what you can to establish a solution/workable relationship/compromise/positive outcome.
- Remember that you have the right to be treated with respect, and not to be threatened.
- Help the client to communicate clearly without aggression.
- Maintain a neutral posture, facial expression and tone of voice. Keep steady eye contact.
Don’t
- Show impatience or annoyance.
- Let the client intimidate you.
- Get side tracked. If you’re a talkative person you may often also have a grasshopper mind, and before long you will be wandering away from the subject of the original conversation.
- Cut off the client’s speech too abruptly though; treat the situation with care and sensitivity
Sadly though this is all easier said than done! On those odd occasions that a client loses it, you can hardly pull out a prompt sheet containing Dos and Don’ts. You have to go with your gut. Hopefully though having read through this list may help point your gut in the right direction.
What else can you do?
Apologise if the client has a valid reason to be angry. Explian how it happened and why it happended and how it will be rectified / measures in place for it not to happen again.
Reiterate that you have quality control measures in place and that whilst every effort is made, we are all human and sometimes human error plays a part.
On the other hand, if client doesnt have valid reason explain why, is it unrealistic expectations? Is it communication issues? Sometimes, when a client is angry at the accountants it is the clients fault. Do they always deliver last minute and expect immediate returns? This is where error is more likely. Discuss and agree mutual expectations. Dig out engagement letter as last resort. Is there the scope creep you mentioned in previous article? Are they expecting an additonal service that they are not paying for and thatn you have not agree to do?
Often, when a client is angry it is a build up and not confined to a one off event. When they finally voice the anger it can be a great way to improve the relationship by having an honest and open discussion and agreeing way forward.
We had a case this week where the director was furious that we had not been doing some work (that we had never been engaged to do) turned out that the breakdown was the communication between his staff and us so this was tackled, agreed basis of going forward and we got a large increase in the monthly fee as well! We also agreed quarterly meetings going forward which will add much more value to his business, iron out any further problems, and give us good additional income.
Of course, this won’t always happen – some of the angriest clients are usually those that finger point, pay late, deliver late and shoddy records, take little interest, don’t listen to advice but do listen to the bloke down the pub, and are generally energy sappers who bring you and ther staff down. These people should be avoided at all costs and weeded out at the initial consultation.