How to Maintain or Repair Your Business Relationship with a Dissatisfied Client

When running a business of any kind, you will eventually find yourself having to deal with difficult or unhappy clients. Luckily, however, there are some effective techniques that you can utilize to maintain or repair your business relationship with these unsatisfied customers, such as:

Outline Clear Deliverables

When working with an unhappy client, one of the best things that you can do is tell them exactly what you will be doing and when it will be done by. As long as you stick to this schedule, the client should have little to no need to constantly chase you for updates. For best results, it is a good idea to communicate this timetable of deliverables to the client in a written format, such as email, so that you can both refer back to it at a later date if necessary. By being clear and deliberate in your communications, both sides will know exactly what to expect from the relationship.

Be Honest And Direct

Far too many companies have a tendency to hide behind jargon and flowery language when communicating with dissatisfied clients. However, in many cases, this can actually make the situation worse. Instead, try to be direct and honest with your clients about what is going on. If there is an issue with a project, tell them exactly why this is the case and what you are doing to fix it. Avoid hiding behind terms such as “changing market conditions” or “situations beyond our control.” Take ownership of the issue and fix it – your client will appreciate your honesty and responsibility.

Try To See Things From Their Point Of View

As a business owner, it is natural to look at an issue only from your company’s point of view. As such, it can be easy to fall into the trap of thinking that your customer is being difficult simply because they aren’t very nice or patient people. However, this is rarely the case. There is usually some underlying business issue that is causing the tension between the two parties. By trying to look at the situation from the client’s point of view, it can be a little easier to see what that problem might be and how you can fix it. By mending the problem, you might just be able to mend the business relationship.

In the world of business, it is almost inevitable that some of your clients will eventually become difficult or unhappy. However, they don’t need to stay that way. By employing some of the techniques outlined in this article your company can effectively fix your business relationship with your dissatisfied clients.

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