If you are a web designer, your agency has necessarily had to deal with a client who is particularly clingy, demanding, or inconstant in his requests. You do not know what attitude to adopt in such a situation? Find out here how to deal with a difficult customer.
Keep calm
When you work in a digital design agency, one day or another you are faced with a client who is giving a hard time. For example, you may be dealing with someone who keeps coming back to their demands over and over again. You may still run into a customer who urges you to lower your rates. It is also possible that your work does not satisfy him without being able to explain the reasons.
In such circumstances, do not give in to the temptation to break up with him. The first maxim you should keep in mind is that you are the expert. So it doesn’t matter whether the customer’s suggestions are ridiculous, their requests unrealistic, or they change their minds all the time. Keep calm and tell yourself that he has come to ask for your services precisely because he does not know how to go about making his project a reality.
It is therefore up to you to educate him about the digital creation process. Explain why you are doing it one way rather than another. Let him know without arrogance when is the best time for him to make new requests or to let you know his concerns. Show a difficult client that you are willing to explain the different aspects of your job to them, and little by little they will be convinced.
Communicate at all times and take their opinion into account
The client is king. So listen to him and make sure you understand what he wants. Insist that he tells you exactly how much time he is giving you to complete the project. You also owe it to yourself to know how much he hopes to be involved in the process.
Are his expectations chimerical? Do not hesitate to suggest adjustments or discuss alternatives. Above all, don’t avoid sensitive conversations when they need to happen. It is best to terminate access right away, preferably face to face or over the phone. So avoid impersonal communications such as sending e-mails. This will make things much easier over time.
Encourage your client to ask you questions and to participate fully in the process. He must feel like his opinion matters. You are the expert in digital communication, but he knows much more than you about the subject that will be highlighted on the site to be designed.
Accept to let go
Making the customer happy is your job! After all, he is the one who will foot the bill and own the site. You must therefore know how to be flexible and accept some of its requests even when they seem to you to go against the grain.
Finally, don’t hang in there when, despite your best efforts, a customer is still dissatisfied. You can’t win it all the time. Accept without resentment to let him look elsewhere.
