Originally published in June 2021. Last updated on February 11, 2025.
No matter how much you prioritize excellent customer service, every business is bound to face a tough client eventually. Some are rude. Some are dissatisfied. And some are simply indecisive or hard to please.
Whatever the issue is, the goal is to handle the situation with professionalism to keep it under control. Otherwise, you risk making the problem worse, potentially resulting in a poor review, unpaid bill, or damage to your business’s reputation.
Use these tips and best practices to learn how to deal with difficult customers the right way to reduce the negative impact they can have on your business.
1. Stay calm
Stay calm, cool, and collected, even when dealing with an angry customer. Just because they may yell or swear doesn’t mean you should do the same.
If things get heated, or even if you just find yourself repeating the same thing over and over, take a break. You’re more likely to say things you don’t mean when you’re in a tense situation. Step away from the difficult conversation, whether it’s online, over the phone, or in person, and pick it up again after you’ve had a chance to clear your head.
It can also be helpful to:
- Talk through the issue with someone else
- Focus on solving the problem over engaging in an argument
- Wait to reach out until you’ve had time to craft a thoughtful response
- Put yourself in the customers shoes and look at the situation from their perspective
- Have a go-to phrase you can use to respond to a customer complaint, like “I understand your frustration and we want to do what we can to find a solution”
2. Practice active listening
Sometimes, difficult customers don’t need you to do anything but listen. Feeling heard and having their concerns acknowledged can go a long way.
When a customer reaches out to complain or pass along a concern, actively listen by:
- Letting them speak without interrupting
- Taking notes and writing down questions to clarify the issue
- Showing you’re paying attention by making eye contact, nodding, or responding when appropriate
- Summarizing their concern and repeating it back to them before offering a solution
If you’re having a text, email, or direct message conversation instead of speaking in person or over the phone, you can practice active listening by:
- Acknowledging their message, even if you don’t have a solution yet by saying something like, “I understand you’re frustration, let me reach out to my team and get back to you with a solution later today”
- Taking time to respond professionally and ensuring your message is free of typos and spelling errors
3. Ask questions
Before you can solve a difficult customer’s concern, you need to understand exactly what it is.
That way, you can address the client’s actual concern instead of just their frustration and come up with a tailored solution that suits the client’s needs.
It’s also a good idea to repeat the issue back to them before coming up with a fix to confirm what the real problem is.
For example, if you’re a landscaper and a client’s upset that their lawn looks patchy after a seed application, you might want to ask whether they’re concerned about the timeline or the grass not growing evenly.
If it’s about growth, you may want to review their watering and fertilizing schedule to ensure the grass is getting all the nutrients it needs. But if the customer’s concern is related to the timeline, you may just need to explain how long it takes for new grass to fill in and offer some maintenance tips.
4. Don’t make excuses
Maybe a job didn’t go well because a team member was out sick, or your supplier didn’t provide the right materials. No matter what caused the negative situation, customers don’t want to hear excuses, they want to hear solutions.
While it’s fine to offer an explanation, like “a supply issue is causing a delay but we’re doing what we can to get the materials as soon as possible.” What they don’t need to hear is, “our supplier is the one who messed up so we can’t do anything about it.”
As the company a client booked a service with, their satisfaction is ultimately your responsibility. While mistakes happen, and not every customer issue is within your control, focus on finding a solution instead of pointing the finger.
Even if the problem is a result of another service provider or company, offering a small discount or an extra service free of charge can go a long way.
5. Set clear expectations
Problems are most likely to arise when you don’t communicate clearly from the get-go. If you and your customers aren’t aligned on important details from day one, like scope of work, cost, and timeline, it can lead to misunderstandings.
That’s why it’s so important to use documents like quotes, contracts, and invoices to outline pricing, payment terms, and a schedule. Doing so keeps you on the same page from day one, preventing confusion and clarifying expectations.
Use field service management software like Jobber to create customer-facing documents that include customized terms and conditions, digital signatures, and itemized pricing. It demonstrates transparency and professionalism and leaves less room for miscommunication.
6. Don’t cave
The saying, “The customer is always right” isn’t entirely accurate. Sometimes, customers are wrong. When that happens, it’s important to stand your ground, like if a client’s being abusive, refusing to pay, or making unreasonable demands.
In these cases, it’s OK to politely and professionally decline the customer’s request. For example, if they want you to refund an entire invoice because your team was fifteen minutes late to a mowing job.
If the job was still completed and it was done well, there’s no reason to reimburse the entire amount. Instead, you could offer a small discount or complementary service during their next appointment, like a free fertilizer application.
While customer satisfaction is essential, it shouldn’t cause you to lose money, especially when the request isn’t equal to the issue at hand.
7. Document everything
Keeping a record of customer complaints and communications ensures you have a paper trail to lean on if you need to refer back to previous conversations or the dispute ends up in court.
Texts, emails, and direct messages are easy to keep track of, but if you speak to a customer in person or over the phone, don’t hesitate to take notes and add them to the client’s file.
That way, the rest of your staff can keep track of the situation and respond accordingly if the customer reaches out to them.
Keep a copy of everything, including screenshots of negative reviews or complaints, conversations, invoices, contracts, and photos of the job and problem, if applicable.
Not only will it provide helpful backup if the issue escalates, but it will give you an overview of the situation, which you can use to determine a fitting solution.
Store this information in one place so it’s easy to find and update, like in your CRM or an online file.
8. Develop a procedure
One of the most challenging parts of learning how to deal with difficult customers is figuring out your approach. Who should respond? What should they say? Is there an easy solution?
Developing a process for handling tough clients and communicating the steps to staff members provides guidelines for you all to follow, lessening the chances of an emotional response that only makes the problem worse.
For example, create a standard operating procedure that addresses:
- Who is responsible for responding to customer complaints online, over the phone, or in person
- Standard responses and solutions for common complaints, like a 5% discount when your team’s late or a review of the work by management if there’s a quality issue
- When complaints should be escalated to management
- How to document, track, and file disputes
- When and how to follow up
For example, if your team’s out on a job, and a rude customer starts yelling at them, how do you expect them to handle the difficult situation? Should they stop work, leave the job site, and reach out to you, or offer a standard resolution based on the problem?
The clearer your procedure, the easier it will be for your staff members to navigate problems out in the field and at the office.
9. Follow up
After an issue has been addressed, follow up to ensure your customer is satisfied. This demonstrates you don’t just care about the issue when it’s front and center, but that you’re genuinely concerned about the customer’s happiness.
It can even end up being an opportunity to have a negative review updated or an online complaint taken down, improving your online reputation.
Send a quick message or make a quick call to ask the customer if the issue has been resolved and whether they’re satisfied with the result. If they say yes, great! You can move on. But if they say no, and you’ve done everything you can to make it right, it may be time to let them go.
10. Know when to let go
Not every customer is going to be happy with how you address the situation, no matter what you do. When that happens, sometimes it makes more sense to end the relationship than continue trying to please a client who just doesn’t want to be helped.
If you’ve done everything in your power to make things right and the client still makes unreasonable demands, send a polite but firm message reiterating what you’re willing to do to address the problem and leave it at that.
For example, “We understand your concerns and want to resolve this issue. Unfortunately, we aren’t able to [customer’s unreasonable demand], but if you’d like to discuss [resolution options], please feel free to reach out to our team at any time to proceed. We value customer satisfaction and want to do what we can to make things right.”
A message like this reinforces your position without brushing off the client. It’s also a great way to respond online because it shows others who may read the exchange you handle negative situations politely and professionally.
READ MORE: How to fire a problem client (nicely)
Common types of difficult customers
An effective way to prepare yourself for dealing with challenging clients is to review the different types and how to handle them. In service businesses, a difficult customer will fall into one of the following categories.
1. The indecisive customer
This type of customer asks for something, but once you’ve done it, they want it done differently. Or they have trouble making a decision from the start, preventing you from getting on with the job.
They may ask you to come back to tweak your work, answer questions, or change the total due, resulting in more work and less profit.
These customers aren’t necessarily rude or demanding, just hard to work with. Depending on how challenging they are and how much of your time they’re taking up, it can be worth trying to save the relationship.
For me, good customer service is trying to work through issues with clients and retain that customer versus binning them at the first sign of trouble.
Try getting ahead of an indecisive customer by:
- Getting a clear picture of the scope of the work. Ask the client to fill in a detailed work request, then create a comprehensive quote with images of what they’ll be getting and descriptive line items.
- Limiting upsells and add-ons to only what’s necessary. Focus on what’s required to get the job done and leave out pricing packages and tiered pricing for these clients. It’ll only make it harder for them to commit.
- Asking the client to sign off on the quote. This ensures you’re on the same page and they’re aware of what the job will (and won’t) cover.
- Charging the customer for additional time or materials. If the work goes beyond the initial scope you agreed to, bill for it. This will prevent them from trying to take advantage of you by requesting too many tweaks and adjustments.
2. The micromanaging customer
Micomanagers watch your work like a hawk, critiquing everything from your tools to your technique. In some cases, they may even believe they could do the job better than you.
This type of client may want you to redo your work or expect to oversee every aspect of the job. If that’s the case, it can become a big problem if your schedule and their budget won’t support what they’re looking for.
Whenever possible, it’s best to avoid a micromanager altogether. But if you aren’t sure you’re dealing with one until after they approve a quote, your best bet is to set clear boundaries and charge for any additional work.
When dealing with a micromanaging client:
- Find out what’s behind their negative attitude. For example, did they have a bad experience with a competitor? Or are they stressed about their budget? Understanding where they’re coming from gives you an opportunity to address their concerns and reassure them.
- Finish the job and part ways. If the customer proves too challenging to work with, finish the work you agreed to do and refrain from working with them in the future.
Bad customers, like bad team members, spread through your company and culture. Your goal is always to protect that culture.
Pro Tip: If a customer has worked with several companies because “nobody does it right,” chances are they’re the real problem. If you get the sense a potential client will be hard to work with, consider passing on the work.
3. The overdue customer
If a client isn’t paying you on time, or at all, that’s a major problem. Even though it could be because they’re strapped for cash or a personal situation moved paying you to the bottom of their priority list, you still need income to cover your expenses.
I’m very patient and give the client the opportunity to be a better client. Sometimes a client is just going through a rough patch.
To get paid, try:
- Including payment terms in your quotes and invoices and make sure the client signs off on them.
- Sending automated invoice follow-ups and charging late fees as needed.
- Using these overdue payment reminder templates.
- Making it easy for clients to pay you by accepting multiple online payment methods.
4. The deal-hunting customer
This customer doesn’t just ask for a discount, they try to nickel and dime you at every turn. They may try to add extra tasks just because you’re “already here”, but they won’t want to pay for them.
To keep job scope in check:
- Use itemized quotes that break down each product or service and how much it costs.
- Highlight your value by explaining your experience, qualifications, or certifications to the client, positioning yourself as an expert.
- Don’t do any extra work unless you’re getting paid for it.
- Avoid offering discount pricing unless it makes sense, like with price bundling or tiered packages.
5. The impatient customer
These customers want the work done yesterday. They don’t have any concept of what goes into the work or what a reasonable timeline looks like. They just want you to meet an impossible deadline.
Fortunately, impatient clients usually come around with a little education. Unfortunately, you’re the one who has to provide it. Here’s how:
- Include a timeline in your quote with a description of each service.
- Go over the job with the client, estimating how long each step will take.
- Take responsibility for any delays on your end and offer a solution, like a different material or a small discount.
- Communicate any changes to the timeline as soon as possible.
6. The attached customer
Attached customers love your company and the work you do. But maybe a little too much. They have no problem calling at all hours with questions, suggestions, or concerns and get upset when you don’t respond immediately.
They think they’re your number one customer, and while you certainly appreciate their business, you can’t survive on one client alone.
If you want to keep them around, handle them by:
- Scheduling a time to talk about their questions or concerns.
- Acknowledging and addressing whatever’s making them anxious or worried.
- Giving them an email address to reach out to instead of calling so you can answer when you’re free.
- Charging them for consulting time if it becomes too much.
But if they’re more trouble than they’re worth, let them go once their contract runs out or the job’s done.
I wait a long time before firing a client because I want to be sure they’re worth firing and I’m not just being lazy. There have been a handful of clients I wanted to fire but I didn’t and it forced us to be better.
7. The angry customer
Angry customers may be upset for any number of reasons. Their issues could be legitimate, like if your team accidentally damaged their property while on the job, or they could just be impossible to please.
Whatever the problem is, it’s important to do your best to de-escalate it before it gets out of control.
In most situations, there is a solution to salvage the relationship. It isn’t easy, especially when dealing with the chronically unreasonable, but good relationships are never easy.
To deal with an angry or rude customer:
- Take time to review and verify the problem before responding.
- Talk to team members to get any additional information or details.
- Come up with a solution that addresses the specific issue the client is having.
- Be polite, professional, and level-headed in all your interactions.
- Protect your staff members by having them send customer complaints your way.
Even the best, most successful service businesses encounter challenging clients from time to time. And while it’s never pleasant, it can be easier to navigate if you use field service management software like Jobber.
Use it to outline clear terms and conditions and create detailed quotes to keep clients informed from day one.