Resolving a conflict with a client in 5 steps Tutorial

Facing conflicts with clients? Learn how to resolve them effectively in 'Resolving a Conflict with a Client in 5 Steps.' This video explores crucial strategies including assertiveness, listening skills, and collaborative solutions. Discover how small changes can maintain rapport and turn conflicts into opportunities for growth. Watch now for practical tips!

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From reading Peter Fisk's Customer genius,

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you know that.

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1,

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a dissatisfied customer tells 12 people about their dissatisfaction.

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What bad publicity?

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2,

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the main reason clients leave you is because they don't feel valued enough,

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respected,

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listened to.

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3,

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recruiting a customer costs 3 times more as keeping them.

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It is therefore understandably important to you that a

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customer dissatisfaction be resolved as quickly as possible.

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How can you find common ground that will prevent

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you from losing your customer and regain their satisfaction?

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Here is a five-step solution to resolve the conflict ORVSC Options,

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reformulation,

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vision,

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solution,

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contract forming.

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O as in options with an S.

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One of our great human failings is to get stuck in a

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childish mode where one is wrong and the other is right.

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Armed with this black white certainty,

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most of the time we approach conflicts with

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the objective of making the other person recognize

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that he or she needs to change and that our solution is the right one.

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The first step before making an appointment with

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your client to resolve the conflict is to

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get out of the black and white world

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and think up several proposals acceptable to all.

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Only contact the client when you have different options to offer at least 3.

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Build different scenarios for getting out of the conflict.

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Alternatives 12,

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and 3.

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Look for 3 solutions that seem to you to be a win-win situation.

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To find these three options,

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you'll need to be open to their vision and be prepared to compromise.

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Ask yourself these three real questions.

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Question 1,

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what do you want?

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You?

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Question 2,

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what is important for the other person?

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Question 3,

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what is non-negotiable for you?

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In addition to the three options,

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be prepared to consider and draw the termination scenario.

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Being able to serenely consider losing your client will

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give you much more power when you address them.

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If you go to them in fear,

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thinking that the worst thing that could happen

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would be for your client to leave you,

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and this option is not an option,

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your client could easily get the better of you.

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Know which is your high,

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medium and low option.

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Think to yourself.

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If I don't get at least that,

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I have a breakup option like break off the relationship and terminate the contract,

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or get a mediator or even go to court.

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Keep all of your options in mind

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to be serene during the interview.

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Second step in resolving a conflict with the client,

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R is for reformulation.

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You have your 3 options in mind,

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plus the breakup option.

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You are now in a meeting with your customer.

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Respectfully rephrase what they say,

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whether you agree or disagree,

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whether they are in bad faith or not.

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Don't go into the verbal ping pong in which

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you constantly throw the ball back to them.

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Put your vision and your options on hold for a while.

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Be neutral and non-judgmental

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while they present their grievances.

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Before they hear your options,

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they will probably want to empty their bag and

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expose their own black and white vision to you.

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Breathe,

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listen,

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and rephrase.

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Any partial view of the client's facts and opinions

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is audible unless the client resorts to insults.

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Put yourselves in the shoes of a neutral mediator who would listen,

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sitting comfortably in the gallery to the claims.

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Imagine for a moment that this does not concern you.

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This is simply someone who needs to express

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their emotions and grievances against a third party.

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If I understand correctly,

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Alex,

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you're extremely upset because you didn't receive the order on Monday.

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You consider this to be a fault on our part,

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or you feel I did not take your needs into account and I disrespected you,

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or you want us to offer a 50% discount on the order,

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or you're expecting an apology.

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Yes,

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you can rephrase all of that.

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What you're telling me,

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Alex,

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is that if you don't get these repairs,

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you'd rather cancel the contract now and refuse to pay what we delivered.

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That's rephrasing,

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neutral without additions or emotion.

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Without trying to defend or justify yourself.

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The rephrasing must be done throughout the client's speech.

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Alex,

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this is what you think.

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This is what you expect.

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A good rephrasing remains neutral without judgment,

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no words put in to tell them that they're in bad faith.

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You will know if your rewording is successful

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if Alex says yes after your rephrasing.

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Alex,

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you were extremely disappointed with the proposal we made for

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you and you felt that our work was unprofessional.

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Alex's response,

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yes,

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don't be afraid to rephrase anything that is harsh or unfair to you.

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It is essential that Alex can empty his bag

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of complaints and feel that you have heard him.

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He will then be able to step back,

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listen to you,

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put things into perspective,

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and finally consider options,

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not before.

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The angrier your client is,

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the more answering to them in a knee jerk response that you disagree with them.

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And that you have another vision will strengthen them in their claims.

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Get as many yeses as possible.

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Make sure they feel heard.

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Step 3,

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V as a vision.

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Your vision can finally be heard when your client feels that theirs has been heard.

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Without attacking them personally,

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then share your side of the story.

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If you feel that your client is relieved

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because they have been listened to with respect,

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then you can even share your feelings and tell them how you felt about the situation.

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Be careful not to be judgmental,

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insist that you do not look at the event through the same glasses,

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that you understand that their customer glasses are

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not the same as your supplier's glasses.

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Avoid being interrupted.

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If your client interrupts you at any time to tell you that they disagree,

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then

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either you didn't listen to them enough in the

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previous step and didn't rephrase what they said,

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either your language is not neutral enough.

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So feeling attacked,

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they send the ball back to you justifying themselves or attacking you back.

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Or you're dealing with a difficult personality.

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In any case,

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stay calm,

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rephrase what they said,

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and politely ask them to let you express your view.

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Beware,

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if you give your point of view in a hidden hope

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of making your client recognize that they're also at fault,

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you have fallen back into the black and white view,

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and they may stubbornly oppose.

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What do you really need to tell them in

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order for them to understand your issues and challenges?

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What do you really need to tell them to find a win-win solution?

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If what you say to the client at this point serves to defend yourself and your ego,

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but does not move the discussion toward resolution,

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then it's best to keep quiet.

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Of course,

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I understand that you also need to express yourself,

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especially if at the previous stage the client was accusatory.

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However,

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consciously choose what to say to the client

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at this stage to move towards the resolution.

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Express all your frustration to your boss,

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co-worker,

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or life partner if you need to get it out.

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Step 4,

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S as in solution.

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If you were able to listen to each other about your different perceptions,

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chances are the emotional tension would have gone down a notch.

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You are once again two adults who can think

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together about solutions that are as win-win as possible.

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You have prepared 3 options.

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You can suggest a first one or listen to them on those that they have thought of.

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At this stage,

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stay focused on finding a solution on the future.

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Gauge how to conduct your negotiation.

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Usually in negotiation,

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it's best to let the other person propose a solution first.

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Sometimes a small commercial gesture is enough to

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get rid of the conflict with the client,

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even if you remain convinced that you have nothing to reproach yourself for.

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What do you have to gain and what do you have to lose?

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Don't forget in this solution stage to think medium and long term as well.

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If the problem recurs,

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how do you plan to deal with it with the customer?

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5th step in resolving a dispute with your client,

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C is for contract forming.

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Sometimes after reaching agreement,

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our mind takes over to convince us again that things should not happen like this,

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that the other person has the upper hand.

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Our mind is very strong to go over stories and carry out trials in 3 acts.

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If you've reached a settlement that,

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if not to your complete satisfaction,

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at least breaks the deadlock,

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then don't let go of it.

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Contract your agreement in writing a contract,

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a signed letter,

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or simply sometimes an email

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that summarizes the commitments of each party.

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This will help stabilize the solution,

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make you understand each other and put everyone back on the safe side.

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So we have seen how to resolve a conflict with the client in 5 steps,

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ORVSC.

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Think about multiple options,

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rephrase the client's words until you get there yes.

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Give the vision without letting your ego drive you,

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find a solution among the options,

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and form a contract in the short and medium

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term to stabilize the outcome of the conflict.

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