Pro Tips: Handling difficult customers

When you're working in a field like tool distribution you're bound to run into a variety of customers. Ideally, every purchase or interaction will be a positive one, but it's impossible to make everyone happy. We asked distributors to share how they handle difficult customers, here's what they had to say:

2. Trust and respect

"If you take care of people, they're going to take care of you. In the years I've been a dealer, I've taken care of all sorts of issues. If they trust you, you can't do enough for them. I try to take care of people and treat them way I want to be treated."

-Rich Rossi, Cornwell Quality Tools

3. Kill 'em with kindness 

"First and foremost, it is you don't ever argue back with them. You just listen to their concern and address it in the way that you need to — no matter what the situation is. Myself and all [my drivers] know you just take care of the customers. Doesn't matter. If we lose money on the deal, it doesn't matter. At that point, when you have an upset customer, you just you do whatever it takes to make it right. You kill them with kindness."

-Nick Smalley, independent distributor 

4. Try to understand your customer's situation

"If I go into a shop and somebody has a bill with me, and they're kind of avoidant, then I talk to the service manager. I try to get advice from them, like, 'Hey, is this guy quitting soon? Are you guys letting him go soon? When's payday?' I try and get my ducks in a row. I don't ever like to leave somebody struggling, but I also have to, as the lender to these guys, I have to keep everything moving in the truck. I have signs posted in my truck about missed payments, or not paying me, or not communicating with me. I'm a pretty reasonable person. All you have to do is reply to a text." 

-Collin Kenehan, independent distributor 

5. Customer service can't be wrong

"Customers are always right, even if they're not. If you ever say 'No, I can't,' or anything other than 'Let me check and get back to you' to them [it could end badly]...it's an industry-known fact that you don't say anything negative to a customer — that's wrong. Just tell them that you're learning, and then you're asking for their help. If you make that customer feel like he's the most important person, you'll get to know him and he'll get to know what you're about."

-Robert Tolbert, Mac Tools