3 ways to satisfy the overly demanding customer and still make money

3 ways to satisfy the overly demanding customer and still make money

Whenever irate customers call, you know to respond by listening, acknowledging and resolving their problems. But what if satisfying customer demands come at a price you just can't afford?

The price you can't pay can be more than money. Often we are asked to increase our service, provide more value, or reduce our delivery time to a point where it just doesn't work. Often your customers are not just bullying you — they may just be passing along their customer demands to you.

Instead of walking away from what could be good business, here are three ways you can respond:

1. Provide a do-it-yourself (DIY) option.

Now, more than ever, there are customers who have more time than money. They want to do all the work themselves. They want to accept all the burden of learning and doing through trial and error. QuickBooks’ online PDA app is an excellent example of this. For less than one dollar a small business can perform its own data entry to minimize its accounting costs.

What can you offer in your business that allows a customer to do it all? One suggestion: Offer an entry-level service or product. Let your customers adopt your product or service in its simplest form. Then you can graduate them to a more robust version where they will need your help.

2. Offer a do-it-with-me (DIWM) option.

If customers really want to do it themselves but can’t, they might be interested in your guidance as they produce your product or service. If you can teach someone to fish so they can feed themselves, make it a moneymaker for you.

One example is a Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores sewing class. After purchasing a dress pattern, you can have a teacher guide you and your project, reducing errors on your road to success.


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