What to Do When the Customer is Wrong

No matter the saying, “the customer is always right,” the fact is, sometimes the customer is wrong. Here are some of the signs it may be time to let a customer know they’re wrong, in the right way.

How you can tell when the customer is wrong.

Many business owners take great pride in feeling that they always try to make things right for a dissatisfied customer, and usually, do. But from time to time you will find that the customer is wrong, and there will be customers who simply cannot be made happy, won over or won back to your business. When the customer is wrong, it can be difficult to let them know without damaging the relationship or losing a valued client. What’s more, your employees may be even more reluctant to take on a customer who is in the wrong. Make sure they’re empowered to spot the signs a customer is wrong and ready to take the right actions.

Here are some of the signs that you may be fighting a losing battle with an unhappy customer. When the customer is wrong, here are five ideas for how you can let them know they’re wrong, the right way.

5 Signs that the Customer is Wrong

1. What they ask for (in order to make things right) is disproportional to what went wrong.

Asking for an unreasonable accommodation may be a warning sign that your customer is not right. You could also be setting precedent for others to follow suit, or for the same customer to continue to make additional demands now or in the future.

The right way to let this customer know they are wrong is to have reasonable guarantees, warranties, policies and procedures in place that state what type of remediation is available when a customer is dissatisfied. Post policies and guarantees of this nature in public places and on your website and make sure they are spelled out in client contracts.

Finally, be sure that you consistently honor and adhere to your own policies when something does go wrong, and that staff receive training about your policies, where they can be referenced and how to administer them.

2. They threaten legal action, vandalism, public retaliation or even physical harm.

As a general rule, it’s a good idea to stop the conversation when a threat is made. For one thing, threats are often made out of emotion, rather than logic, and sometimes simply allowing for a cooling off period can help.

Threats of any kind should be taken seriously. If a customer does threaten some kind of legal action, retaliation or some other form of harm, it is prudent for you to seek expert advice and protect your business and staff.

The right way to let this customer know they are wrong is to bring the conversation (whether in person, by phone, letter, email, online, etc.) to a halt and determine what steps you need to take next.

3. They harass you or your followers/customers on social networks.

Once upon a time, the only way a dissatisfied customer could do harm to your business in writing was to write a letter to the editor or make signs and picket outside your facility. Today, there may be dozens of digital sites including social networks, blogs, websites, rating and review sites, etc., where an unhappy customer can take out their frustration on your business in writing.

In some cases, this type of harassment may even rise to the level of libel, which is defined as defamation expressed in writing, pictures, signs or other physical formats of communication that is injurious to a person’s reputation, exposes one to public hatred, contempt or ridicule, or injures a person in their business or profession.

The right way to let this customer know that they are in the wrong is probably to seek legal counsel and determine what action may be warranted to get the harassing behavior to cease. It may also be appropriate to appeal to those administering social networks or review sites to ask that posts be reviewed or removed.

4. They harass or impede the ability of other customers to visit your business or do business with you.

If an unhappy customer resorts to harassing, haranguing or actually impeding the ability of other customers to do business with you in some way, you may need to seek legal counsel, alert local law enforcement, request the assistance of social network and other site administrators or take some other action.

You have a responsibility to your customers and they will expect you to take action in order to protect them from harassment or harm. The right way to let this customer know they are in the wrong is to obtain legal advice and follow the actions as prescribed by your lawyer, law enforcement, site administrators or other authorities.

5. They have a pattern of being difficult to work with or routine dissatisfaction over time.

Over time, patterns of behavior that are not necessarily extreme or rising to the levels noted above may still be a clear indication that a given customer is simply not a good fit for your business (and vice versa). The right way to let this customer know that they are in the wrong may include one or more of these types of actions:

• Include them in a focus group or survey to determine if there is something acting as a root cause for expressed dissatisfaction that you may have the ability to resolve
• Connect them with a different salesperson or service provider in your organization that might be able to communicate with them more effectively
• Recommend other products, services or even other businesses that may be better able to please them

Even when warranted, dealing with customer dissatisfaction can be difficult to resolve, and the additional drain on resources as well as added stress can take a toll on your employees as well as your business. As a leader in your business, you must expect that at one point or another, you may be dealing with a dissatisfied customer who is in the wrong. Make sure that you have a documented plan, policies and training for your employees that can be implemented when needed to minimize negative consequences to your organization.

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