Customers are very much like family.
Indecisive like Aunty Margaret. Grumpy like Uncle Steve. Super friendly like Aunty Sarah.
Though they are all different, be it the best or the worst, they are all equally important for any business’ success.
In fact, customers are the actual boss in a deal as they are the ones who uses the products and services. Not to forget, they are also the ones who judge the quality of those products and services.
I am sure you have met several kinds of customers every now and then. But, have you met these?
I will be sharing with you the 10 kinds of customers that are commonly encountered by any business and how you can deal with them.
Let’s get into the points, shall we?
1. The One Who Always Ask For Discount
We all love deals. Preferably a good one.
While your prospect is negotiating a deal with you, they might also be talking with your competitors.
Giving discounts without hesitation could possibly put your whole business in jeopardy as you have unintentionally set a wrong example for your sales team.
Instead, highlight the value of your product or service.
Then, do a value stacking.
Value stacking is adding other products or services to your core offers, so the total value stack is higher than your asking price.
For example, if you offer learning courses at $997 for 10 lessons, you can throw in 1 free lesson, 2 hours free private consultation, your swipe files and e-books which worth more than $4,500.
So now you’re selling the course worth $5,497, but you are only charging for $997.
It comes a pretty good deal right?
So when they feel it is worth it, they would not ask for more discounts because now your price is a bargain. When customers satisfy, businesses flourish.
2. The One Who Micro-manage
You have created a masterpiece design for your client. Your client asks you to make the headline bigger, more visible logo, bigger font size, better picture and while you are at it, make the whole thing looks more attractive.
All of a sudden, the whole design looks like a template.
We all know the feeling, have encountered such clients or experienced a similar situation. Here is how we can deal with it.
First, we need to respect the needs of the customers who want to micro-manage as their main concern is to achieve their desired outcome.
It’s important to be transparent from the start for both parties. Show them what they can expect from you so that they are able to put their trust in you and your team before engaging your service.
Besides, you could set up a weekly update of the overall progress with the customer.
It gives them a sense of security.
3. The One Who Grows With You
Meeting customers that are at a similar business stage or life cycle is one in a million.
When there is one, grasp the opportunity to build a connection by sharing business or life experiences as they can relate.
You can also consider partnering up with them or feature them in your testimonials to build lasting relationships and keep them loyal to your brand.
4. The One Who are The Best and High-Quality
Dream customer! The one who would value your offerings, no questions asked, no demands and no negotiations. They trust you fully, refer you to their friends and family.
This kind of customer should be appreciated, keep them satisfy by over-delivering values to them and they will be loyal to you for a lifetime.
5. The One Who Is Indecisive
Customers can be confused or skeptical towards a certain product or service as they lack the knowledge in what you offer. For cases like this, it is best that you respect their opinions, get to know the details of their concern, and give them suggestions based on your own expertise.
Rejecting them right away would not help. Instead, propose a better alternative that is based or formulated from their suggestions.
6. The One Who Is A Perfectionist
We all know someone who is a perfectionist, people who sets high standards and strive to be flawless in everything, wanting their products to be impeccable. Not a single dirt spot, need to be completely new or the painting has to be evenly sprayed.
It can be challenging to convince a perfectionist that not everything is perfect, but it can be dealt with.
What you can do is to take this as an opportunity to improve.
Listen to the perfectionists’ advice, comments, and opinions as these can be a good way to polish your service and enhance your product.
However, if things get out of hand and they over consume your time or effort, the best way to deal with it is to turn down the customer. You wouldn’t want to lose 10 customers because of 1 difficult customer, do you?
7. The One Who Become Your No.1 Fan
These are your word-of-mouth and source of referral sales. Legends say you only need 1,000 loyal fans for your business and are set for life as they will purchase anything you produce or offer.
They will travel 1,000 miles to attend your course. They will purchase the top range products of yours despite their purchasing power. They have a Google Alert set for your name and brand. They will turn on notifications for any new posts you created. They are your true fans.
In this case, you will need to focus on delivering an incredible experience for your existing customers and create opportunities for repeat business.
8. The One Who Become Your Friend
Whether in business or politics, it is all about relationships. And particularly in business, relationships bring great value. Not just a buyer and seller relationship, but bringing it to the next level that customers actually became our friends.
Find something in common. It could be a hobby, experiences, pets etc. Remembering small details about your customers is what makes your relationship valuable. The dealing, discussions, and negotiations become easier when you go the extra mile.
It’s easier to close a deal with a friend than a stranger.
9. The One Who Goes Missing In Action.
Ever heard of missing customers? They exist though.
The two commonly seen missing customers are,
Customer A ordered 800 plastic cups to be picked up tomorrow, pay nothing and did not show up the next day, no return calls, just poof.
And now you’re stuck with 800 plastic cups you’ve paid your supplier.
Customer B agrees to engage with you, made full payment and before you can render your service or send your product, he disappeared.
Now, if you happen to encounter Customer B, you are in luck since you have got nothing to lose as there were no costs incurred on your end.
But that is not the case for encountering Customer A, your time, effort and money will all be wasted.
So, how do we deal with it?
The best way is to either work out a percentage-based deposit or a milestone-based payment schedule. These types of agreements benefit both parties as it provides reasonable security for the customer that businesses will complete the job and on the other hand, reassures businesses that the customer is serious about the contract.
10. The One Who Refuses to Pay and Put Their Reputation on the Line.
One of the worst customers. In many cases, customers will try to delay payment by saying they have got it all, and make statements like ‘No need to be afraid that I will run away, my company is so big, I’ve got a lot of business ongoing, I will definitely pay you next month.’
If this is the case, you should send a constant reminder and highlight to them that you have delivered your service or product. If your customer still won’t pay, be open and listen to their reasons. Ask them whether they satisfy with your product or service, is there any financial complexities or anything that might contribute to their refusal to pay.
Once you know the ‘why’, work towards a solution with the customer.
If worse comes to worst, a lawsuit may be necessary.
The one crucial thing to keep in mind is that you will meet these types of customers mentioned above along the way.
Some may even have a mix of different personality types.
Get to know these profiles, adjust your communication strategy and take it as an indicator for delivering the best possible customer service.
If you’d like to listen to what we talked about in this topic, tune in to Episode 6 of After 5 @ Jumix podcast!
Links below:
Do leave a comment if you would like to share your views on our topic!
Sanz Teoh
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