Why Leadership Matters Most In Managing Difficult Customer Behaviour
I was recently at an event and had a conversation with a leader about difficult customer behaviour.
They mentioned the company they worked for was extremely customer-focused and always looked at what they could to make their customers happy, even the unhappy ones. Looking at how to turn a customer’s dissatisfaction into a positive experience is a very important business philosophy.
They then proceeded to share a recent example where the CEO was managing an escalation with a very disgruntled customer who had been abusive towards a team member. After the conversation with the CEO, the customer was given exactly what they wanted and walked away very happy. I then asked if the behaviour of the customer was addressed, to which they replied it hadn’t been.
If poor customer behaviour is not addressed, not only is there a potential safety risk to the team but also sends a message to the customer that their behaviour is acceptable and they can continue to act in any way they like in the future. This has a significant impact on team morale and can lead to increased fear, absenteeism, disengagement and ultimately attrition. No one wants to work for an organisation who doesn’t put their safety first.
This example is in direct contrast to a prestige car dealership I once worked with, whose Dealer Principal banned a customer from entering their premises, such was the level of abuse they had directed towards the receptionist. While they were a high-value client, what mattered more was the safety and well-being of the team member.
While there are many important roles of a service leader, one of the most critical is to ensure the protection of all team members and to have zero tolerance for customer abuse. To address this, organisations across all sectors need to have policies firmly in place to safeguard the team.
It is essential clear boundaries are established, including the implementation and socialisation of the organisation's unacceptable customer conduct policy and clear escalation paths. This should also be visible to customers, be it on a website or signage.
Training is also a leadership priority, ensuring team members have the skills to diffuse and de-escalate difficult and aggressive behaviour. This should include ongoing leadership coaching as working with difficult customer behaviour is seldom easy. It is essential that post-incident support and de-briefing is accessible.
A service leader also makes themselves available for customer escalations and will step in and support the team member when a customer displays unacceptable customer conduct. A great service leader always has the team’s back.
In serious cases, a customer's behaviour may mean they are asked to leave the premises, a call is terminated and, in serious cases, restrictions on the customer accessing the business.
With increasing levels of customer aggression, comes increased organisational and leadership responsibility for the safety and well-being of all team members. And while the goal of every organisation should be to provide world-class customer experiences, it should never be at the expense of the team. It is up to every service leader to protect the team and ensure they feel safe and supported at all times.
