There’s no point in getting into an argument with your customer.

Being right, but offending the customer, is wrong.

Being correct, but losing your customer’s business, is wrong.

Disputes with customers usually come about because of misunderstandings between the customer and the business, or its employees, or its owners.

The end result of every business transaction should be a customer who is so pleased with the transaction that they want to tell everyone that they meet about the wonderful product they have just acquired, the exceptional service they have just received, and the amazing team who they dealt with.

Anything short of this result is a failure in transaction and in process.

Nobody ever goes out to acquire mediocre products from vanilla style people with zero service skills.

That sort of transaction is so wrong. When that sort of transaction happens, it just makes you want to take a shower on so many levels.

Its horrid.

So where do things go wrong?

Usually things go wrong because of poor communication, or lack of communication.

And those poor communications are usually because of a misunderstanding created between customer and vendor, where the vendor usually incorrectly assumes some level of knowledge in the customer.

And sadly in these situations, the customer has no knowledge.

That’s often why the customer is there… they need help.

The customer has a problem. They are seeking a solution to their problem. But they have no idea on how to go about the pathway they need to take them from their problem to their solution.

Sadly…

Sadly, a lot of vendors of products out there are very knowledgeable about their products, but when it comes to the art of communication and the skills required to be a good listener, and to be an even better problem solver, these vendors get an F minus.

Sometimes some vendors just push through their own inadequacies with the hope that some percentage of their customers will just agree [because they do not want to look and feel stupid], when in fact what these vendors are really doing is exacerbating a simmering problem that won’t solve itself.

Clarity is king!!

When in doubt, politely seek clarification from your customer to allow the relationship and the transaction to move forwards.

It truly is amazing the amount of clarity that a double take and pause brings to a conversation.

There is no point in proceeding without clarity.

Hoping that the person you are dealing with does indeed truly comprehend is not the solution.

Hope is a very poor business strategy.

Always make sure that you and the person you are speaking with are indeed on the same page.

And don’t ever misrepresent the other person’s comments in an attempt to progress the transaction.

That is plain deception.

Which is wrong.

There is no happy ending when this happens….

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Dr. David Moffet BDS FPFA CSP is a certified CX Experience coach. David works with his wife Jayne Bandy to help SME businesses improve their Customer Service Systems to create memorable World Class experiences for their valued clients and customers. Click here to find out how David and Jayne can help your business