It’s impossible to avoid dealing with difficult clients. Even if you’re the best and most competent at what you do, it’s almost certain that you’ll encounter someone who is irate and extremely difficult to please. Unfortunately, learning how to handle them isn’t taught in school or in job training, so it’s all on you to figure out how to remain professional when your client is anything but.
The good news? We’ve got a guide for exactly that. We’ve compiled 12 effective ways to deal with clients who are jerks and we’re going to share them here so you can focus on doing your job without having your temper tested at every turn. Keep reading to learn which strategies will benefit you the most!
| Takeaway |
|---|
| Set clear boundaries and expectations with clients from the beginning. |
| Maintain a professional and respectful demeanor, even when faced with difficult clients. |
| Practice active listening to understand clients’ concerns and frustrations. |
| Communicate openly and honestly to address issues and find solutions. |
| Learn to say no and assert yourself when necessary to protect your well-being. |
| Document and keep records of client interactions and agreements. |
| Seek support and advice from colleagues or mentors when dealing with challenging clients. |
| Focus on finding common ground and mutually beneficial outcomes. |
| Practice self-care and manage stress effectively to maintain a healthy work-life balance. |
| Continuously improve your communication and conflict resolution skills. |
| Consider terminating a client relationship if it becomes consistently toxic or unproductive. |
| Reflect on each client interaction and learn from the experience for future growth. |
Identify The Problem
So you’ve decided that being a freelance writer is the best career path for you. And now, you’re realizing that there are a lot of downsides to being your own boss and working from home: no one’s there to dole out assignments, no one tells you what to do, and sometimes … it hurts too much to look in the mirror each morning because you see such a talented person looking back at you.
Also, there are jerks! Clients who aren’t appreciative of your skills and talents. Clients who don’t know how much they need you until they get the first draft of their new website copy or marketing materials then decide they’d like it done differently. Of course! How could I have written this in any way other than exactly what this client is saying?
Let’s be honest: some clients are just plain awful people who will never be happy with anything (I’m looking at YOU, Mr. Terrible Client). Luckily, most clients aren’t like that they just want to make sure their problems get solved and expectations are met. To keep these types of clients happy (and keep them coming back), all it takes is a bit of empathy and problem-solving skills on your part.
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Have A Conversation
To start, ask questions about why they are upset. Why? To understand their point of view and figure out what mistakes were made so you can address the issue and prevent it from happening again. Have a conversation with them to understand the situation fully, and ask for feedback on what could have been done differently or better.
Once you have the full picture, say something along these lines: “I am sorry that happened. I understand how this was not acceptable. What would you suggest we do to fix this?” And then be quiet and listen to what they say. Remember, your goal is not to convince them to change their mind; rather, it is to find a solution that works for everyone involved a resolution that leaves both parties satisfied at the end of the discussion.
When speaking with an unhappy client, always remember: It is never personal (even though it might feel personal). If someone feels like their expectations weren’t met or that you didn’t deliver on your promise, take responsibility for your actions instead of arguing against them (this will make all of your relationships way less stressful).
Be Direct
If you’re the type of person who keeps your head down and doesn’t offer up solutions until everyone is happy, you may want to reconsider that approach. A large chunk of a client’s job is done by the time they approach you with their concerns.
They’ve already decided what they want, researched whether anyone else can do it, write a proposal and proposal revisions to pitch their ideas, budgeted for it, found a vendor or partner to collaborate with them on it, hired someone capable of executing on the project, and so on they’ve already given themselves much of the work needed to get the job done before even coming to you.
That said, part of good service involves eliminating as many obstacles as possible for your clients’ projects and in my experience over the past several years as a professional contractor working in various industries ranging from fine art photography to design and architecture firms helped by creative professionals like me (as well as other people), there are still plenty of things that can be done to alleviate the problems faced by clients who hire us that could make people happier at work and help them get more value out of our services while reducing stress.
Focus On Moving Forward
Let’s face it: we’ve all had a client who was less than ideal to work with. Whether they’re never satisfied, constantly taking up your time, or just generally being a jerk, working with unpleasant people can be a real drain on your energy. But by adjusting the way you mentally approach these clients and their projects, you can reduce their negative impact on both you and your team.
Remember that the past is irrelevant (aside from what happened in Avengers: Endgame). It doesn’t matter that this client has been nothing but trouble for you in the past what matters is how well you perform now. This kind of external negativity is completely out of your control, so don’t give it any more power than necessary by letting it seep into your mental processes.
If a client has only been giving feedback about things that already happened in the project instead of focusing on the future goals for the work to be done moving forward, consider refocusing them by asking them what they want their final project to look like when it’s all said and done (and then focus exclusively on those details).
Of course, certain clients are going to be more difficult to deal with than others, after all, they are human beings as much as anyone else but if you adopt an attitude that views problems instead of as opportunities for growth and success in spite of difficulties (and maybe even because of them), then there’s no limit to what you can do together!
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Suggest A Different Perspective
Suggest a different perspective. The client may be feeling frustrated or angry about something. Suggest that their perspective may be different from yours, and invite them to consider their actions from your perspective.
Ask them to switch roles and see if they still feel the same. Sometimes, it can be useful to step into someone else’s shoes in order to understand where they’re coming from. Ask if the client would like to switch roles with you, then ask them how they would feel being treated that way by someone else.
Ask them if they would appreciate being treated that way. Point out that you are doing your best and want to do a good job for them, but ask whether they would appreciate being treated in the same manner as they have been treating you.
Be Open To Their Ideas
Another effective way to deal with clients who are jerks is to be open to their ideas. When you know that a client is difficult, you may assume that their ideas are terrible and not worth considering. This can create a lot of animosity between the two of you, as well as an unproductive working relationship.
Instead, let them speak and consider what they have to say, even if you disagree with them in the end. You may learn something from what they say that will help you solve problems more effectively.
Alternatively, if they offer an idea that is truly awful and doesn’t work at all, then explain your reasoning for rejecting it calmly and politely in person or via email (or whichever medium of communication works best for both of you). If the client respects your expertise, then they will understand why their idea wasn’t a good one!
Talk About Your Process
Talking about your process with a client who is being uncooperative will help in two ways. It’ll give them some insight into what it’s like to do your job, which may make them more sympathetic towards you. And it’ll help you both understand the work you’re doing together and the best ways to go about it. If the client is unhappy with specific aspects of your process, talk about what can be changed and how that change would affect things like deadlines and turnaround time.
The idea here is to get on the same page to come up with a plan that works for everyone.
Keep It Professional
There’s no foolproof way to keep a conversation on track, but here are some tried-and-true tactics:
Stick to the script. If you need to get something done, make sure you have a specific action item in mind before approaching the client. “I’m calling because I wanted to ask if we could do X,” is much more effective than, “Hi! How are you? So what’s going on?”
Don’t veer off course. Even the most adept communicators sometimes get derailed by tangential topics. If a client starts rambling about their life or work outside of the project at hand, try refocusing them by circling back to your original goal for the conversation. You can say something like, “This sounds really interesting what does this have to do with X?” or simply reiterate your initial question: “I see what you mean. So how do you feel about X?”
Remember that this too shall pass and be polite about it! If all else fails and you find yourself trapped in an unwanted phone call with no exit strategy, just go with it. The sooner you can bite your tongue and smile through the tedium, the faster you’ll reach freedom again. Just remember that being rude is counterproductive no matter how terrible your client may be at that moment, they’re still paying your bills!
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Do Not Take Things Personally
When a client is venting his or her frustration at you, it’s easy to take things to heart. But remember that the client is not attacking you personally. Instead, he or she is unhappy with the work that you have delivered to them and doesn’t know how else to express their feelings.
In an article for Forbes, entrepreneur Adam Toren shares how he was able to deal with clients who were jerks. To learn from his experience, Toren suggests thinking of these difficult clients as a type of “teacher” instead of an adversary. By viewing these clients as teachers, you will be able to see what went wrong in your business dealings and change or improve certain aspects of your process so that this kind of incident does not happen again in the future.
As much as possible, try not to take things personally by repeating and affirming that this issue has nothing to do with you on a personal level and everything to do with the work they have commissioned from you.
Compromise
Your client may be a jerk, but at the end of the day, you have to recognize that they’re your customer. They are paying you for a service and it is your job to provide that service to them in order to make money.
If someone is being difficult or unreasonable, you need to consider whether or not they are worth working with. Are they making so much of a profit off of your services that it’s still worth having them as a client? If so, then compromise can be a great way to deal with jerks. Sometimes all your difficult clients want is that one thing they’re asking for, and if that’s all they care about then figure out what you can do to keep them happy.
Hopefully, you’re never in a situation where compromising with an awful person is your only option, but if you find yourself in this position then play nice and try not to kill anyone.
Listen More Than You Speak
When people become frustrated, they start to assume that their worst-case assumptions are correct. You’ll find yourself thinking, “This client is a jerk because he doesn’t care about my needs.” This is not the case. However, if you don’t stop to listen to your client in order to understand where he’s coming from, you may never learn what his needs and frustrations truly are.
You might be surprised at how much better you feel once everyone has been heard. The key here is to listen more than you speak and ask more questions than you make statements. Your goal should be to clarify what the problem is and what the desired outcome would look like for your client, not for you!
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Being Nice Helps You Remain Professional And Handle Difficult Clients
Be nice and pleasant
When you’re working with someone, being nice and polite to others goes a long way. It helps to break the ice when dealing with difficult clients and makes you look more professional when handling tough situations. Most of all though, it creates an environment where both parties are willing to work together towards the same goal: achieving success for the business or project at hand.
In fact, this is probably one of the most important skills that any freelancer can develop over time since it allows them to maintain calm composure in even some of the most challenging scenarios imaginable.
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Summary
“I think the major takeaway here is that we always want to do our best to remain professional,” said Lofgren. “Remember that in many cases, if a client is being unreasonable it may not be about you or your work. It could be a reaction to something outside of your control either personal or professional. Don’t let emotions get the better of you, and practice some of these strategies for dealing with clients who are jerks.”
In the end, remember that great relationships can only flourish when both parties put their best foot forward and try to meet each other halfway. If nothing else, this process will allow you to sleep better at night knowing that there was no bad blood left on the table and that you did everything in your power to make things right.
Further Reading
Here are some additional resources to further explore the topic of dealing with difficult customers:
How to Deal with Difficult Customers on the Phone: Learn effective strategies for handling challenging customer interactions over the phone and providing excellent customer service.
How to Deal with Rude Customers: Discover practical tips and techniques for managing interactions with rude customers, maintaining professionalism, and resolving conflicts.
Dealing with Rude Customers: A Comprehensive Guide: Gain insights into understanding and handling rude customers, including strategies for diffusing tension, addressing concerns, and fostering positive customer experiences.
FAQs
Q: How can I stay calm and composed when dealing with difficult customers?
A: Maintaining a calm demeanor is crucial when handling difficult customers. Take deep breaths, actively listen to their concerns, and respond with empathy and professionalism.
Q: How do I effectively communicate with a rude customer?
A: When communicating with a rude customer, remain respectful and patient. Use positive language, avoid arguing or taking their behavior personally, and focus on finding a solution to their issue.
Q: What strategies can I use to de-escalate a tense customer interaction?
A: To de-escalate a tense customer interaction, actively listen, show empathy, and offer sincere apologies when appropriate. Seek to understand the customer’s perspective and work together towards a resolution.
Q: How do I handle a customer who is consistently rude or abusive?
A: If you encounter a consistently rude or abusive customer, it’s important to set boundaries and prioritize your well-being. Consider involving a supervisor or manager if necessary and follow any established protocols for handling such situations.
Q: How can I turn a negative customer experience into a positive one?
A: Transforming a negative customer experience into a positive one requires swift action and genuine effort. Take ownership of the issue, provide a prompt solution or compensation if applicable, and follow up to ensure customer satisfaction.
How Do You Handle Project Revisions?
If at any time during work on a project both parties agree that changes need to be made in order for completion or satisfaction (for example, if there is new information), then there should be no issue with making those edits accordingly before finalizing each party’s expectations when signing their contracts together.”
Should I Tell The Client They’re A Jerk?
No. Never tell your client that they’re a jerk. You can be polite, you can be firm, but don’t ever tell them that they’re being mean or pushy, or rude. They’ll probably get defensive, and then you’ll look like the bad guy for saying something so mean about their character.
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