b'Business ManagementHow to Work Through Client Conflictsby Ted Janusz Have you ever had an upset customer? Take heart, we all have. Surprisingly, studies show that 96 percent of dissatisfied clients dont complain. At least not to you. Studies also show that of the customers who do complain, between 54 and 70 percent will do business again with the organization if the complaint is resolved. The figure soars to an incredible 95 percent if the client feels that the complaint was resolved quickly.In addition, if you handle your customers situation when they complain using the insights in this article, not only might you keep that client but you may also be able to turn them into a customer evangelist for your company.Word-of-mouth is the most effective form of marketing for your business, since up to 80 percent of consumer choices are the result of personal recommendations, from family, friends, or online resources. Treat Me the Way I Want to Be Treated One of the ways to provide great customer service is through personality-based issue resolution, as discussed byMatthew Dixon, Nick Toman and Rick Delisi in their book The Effortless Experience.The authors relay the results of the efforts of Bradford & Bingley, a United Kingdom-based financial services firm, which reported a 20 percent increase in willingness to recommend and a 40 percent decrease in repeat customer calls afterusing this approach.Its a process that allows you to make an educated guess about the personality profile of any customer, typically within no more than thirty to sixty seconds.The four basic profiles of customers (and the names I have assigned them): The Analytical, who needs to analyze and understand The Amiable, who leads with their emotional needs The Administrator, who just wants what they want, when they want it The Associator, who loves to talk and show off their personalityThe best part, say Dixon, Toman and Delisi, is that the process only requires you to ask no more than three questions in your quest to determine the personality of your customer: Is the customers issue complex? If no, you do not need to continue the diagnosis process. If the customersissue can be resolved quickly and easily, there is really no need to do anything besides be courteous andprofessional. In fact, for simple-issue situations, treat all customers as Administratorsjust get them what they need as quickly politely as possible. But if the customers issue is a complex one (such as a billing dispute), the authors advise to listen carefully to the words the customer uses todescribe their issue. Continue with these questions.Is the customer issuing clear directives? If the answer is yes, then the customer is likely an Administrator. No need to further determine their personality, just promptly and concisely answer the customer.But if the answer is no, then ask the third and finalquestion: Is the customer displaying emotional behaviors? If not, they are probably an Analytical. However, if the answer is yes, they are likely an Amiable or an Associator. Whats the difference?Amiables wanttheir personal point of view to be taken into consideration while Associators like to entertain, joke, and chat.Continued on Page 12 Page 10CONSTRUCTION JOURNAL'