If you are in the service industry, then chances are you communicate with clients on a regular basis whether it’s via email, phone calls, or text messages. Along with this comes the chance of dealing with difficult clients. I’m going to assume that you, like me, like to do business with great clients that pay on time and treat you with respect. However this is not always the case. There are sometimes difficult clients that require a different strategy than what is typically used. Although it can be difficult, handling these situations with patience and care can go a long way.

Identify and assess the issue at hand.

First identify the issue or problem at hand and try to understand the problem fully. Ask questions if you need to but be sure not to make the client feel like they are being interrogated. Give them adequate time to explain.

Next, determine if there’s a way to resolve the issue without involving a third party (i.e., emailing a coworker). If so, do so immediately so that the client doesn’t have to wait for a response.

If you can’t resolve the issue in-house, prepare a time frame for when you will get back to them with an answer.

Prepare to respond.

The most important thing when it comes to writing emails is being clear about what you want to say. If you’re not sure what your email should contain, take some time to think about it before pressing send. You may even want to write down a draft copy before firing off an email.

Try to be as specific as possible about when you will respond back — give them something concrete to look forward to and keep them from becoming frustrated or angry at your company or brand.

Be careful what you say in an email response. Emails are permanent and can be forwarded easily — even accidentally — so be sure that your responses reflect positively on your business and demonstrate professionalism at all times!

Respond simply and professionally.

What if the client is hostile or rude? Then write something brief and polite that says you’ll get back to them as soon as possible. “Thanks for your note — I’ll reply once I’ve had time to think about this.” Then take some time to cool off before returning to the keyboard.

Whatever you do, don’t engage in an email war. If they respond with more hostility or rudeness, don’t respond in kind — no matter how tempting it might be! Instead, write something brief and polite again, and then take more time off before responding further.

Ask questions instead of making statements.

If your customer has asked for something that seems unreasonable or impossible for you to accommodate, ask questions rather than making statements about what can or cannot be done: “I’m sorry we don’t have that available yet — could you tell me more about why that would be important for your project?” This will give them an opportunity to explain their reasoning behind their request in more detail and give you an opportunity to, perhaps, offer something else that might be useful to their situation.

Explain next steps and provide as much context where you can.

The client is not happy. In fact, they are downright upset.

They may be angry, frustrated, or disappointed. Their expectations were not met, and now they want more from you.

Explain next steps and provide as much context where you can. Don’t assume that your client understands the rationale behind your recommendations or the constraints of your business. If you have time, explain what happened and why it happened. You may need to push back on this request for more information, but be polite about it!

Always close your email with a positive tone.

The most common mistake people make in emails is that they forget the importance of closing with a positive tone.

Closing your email with a positive tone can be as simple as saying “thank you” or “looking forward to hearing from you.” It doesn’t have to be grandiose. It doesn’t have to be anything more than what’s appropriate for the situation. But in a situation where the client feels slighted or upset, an appropriate closer can keep or lose the client and has an extreme impact on how he or she feels about how the company handles conflict.

It ensures that the customer knows your intentions for the relationship, even if they’re not good. An example: “I hope we can work things out and find a solution that works for both of us.”

Takeaway

When we take a deep breath, pause to consider the situation, and respond with care and consideration, we can turn these challenging situations into opportunities to strengthen client relationships. Difficult clients are not necessarily bad clients (or good ones, for that matter)—but how they’re handled can make all the difference. Handle them poorly and you might be just one nasty email from a lost client. Handle them with care and you might have just turned a disgruntled customer into a raving fan.

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