The Valley Business Journal April 18

THE VALLEY BUSINESS JOURNAL
6 www.TheValleyBusinessJournal.com
April 2018
to Feature
James Stewart
How to Tame the Difficult Customer
by
by
Ted Saul,
Steve Fillingim
Sr. Staff Writer
Anyone who has been in business
for any length of time has run into at
least one difficult customer. While the
customer should always be right there
will be the few that are impossible to
please. Learning how to deal with this
person is important to the company as
well as your well being. If you don’t
have your own approach, here are some
ideas to think about.
The term “reframe” is a good one
to use when found in a conflict. What
this means is to look at the person and
situation differently to gain a new and
perhaps better perspective. Are there
any indications what may have brought
them to their demeanor? If they are upset,
is it with you, the product or service
or the experience they are having? Try
and understand what got them there.
Perhaps they are just having a bad day.
Once you’ve reframed the situation it
should help you to have more empathy
with the individual opening up communications
and a more constructive
discussion. This goes along with what
Stephen Covey says in his 7 Habits book
to “Seek first to understand and then
Temecula Valley Learning Forum
as Speaker
to be understood”. Once the customer
sees that you are truly interested in
their problem they will be more likely
to soften their tone and work with you.
As discussions take place about the
issue, don’t let the customer control you
or your feelings. Stay in control of your
words and reactions. Letting someone
else use their bad mood to turn your day
in a negative direction is giving them
power over you. There is no need to
get into that position. Better decisions
will be made for the customer as well
as your company.
Depending on the nature of what has
made the customer unhappy, there may
come a point where it will be necessary
to cut your losses. If no agreement can
be reached that is satisfactory to both
parties, at least agree to disagree and
move on. You may lose some business,
but giving in can end up being more
costly.
Finally, be sure to train staff on the
techniques that you approve. Empower
them to make decisions but also to know
where additional help can be found.
Ted Saul is a business coach and writer
that assist with Business Plans and
Project Management. He holds a master
certificate in project management and
has earned his MBA from Regis University.
Ted can be reached on LinkedIn,
TedS787 on Twitter or emailing Ted@
tsaul.com.
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The Temecula Valley Learning Forum
will meet Tuesday, April 3rd at
Mercedes-Benz of Temecula from 9:00
am – 10:00 am. Our featured speaker will
be James “Stew” Stewart of the Temecula
City Council.
James said, “I was born 57 years ago
to a factory worker and a farmer’s daughter.
Nothing exceptional about me except
my endless energy and ambition. While in
high school my friend started calling me
Stew, and the name stuck. High school
was also a water shed period for me. I took
several trade related classes.
First was Building trades, my junior
and senior years I built 2 houses from
the ground up. They taught us electrical,
plumbing, framing, roofing, drywall and
finish work. I also went to barber school
my last 2 years of high school. I realized I
was an experiential learner, I learn almost
nothing from books.”
“I graduated in high school and 3
months later graduated barber school. I
work for 5 years before opening the first
Stews in 1983. I got married to Lisa in
1980 at the age of 20 and proceed to have
3 kids in the next 7 years. In 1991 I felt
drawn to move to California, so I sold my
very busy shop and up rooted my family
and moved straight to Temecula. I opened
the first California Stews in Murrieta in
1991, followed by Menifee in 1994, Temecula
in 1995, 2 Murrieta shop in 1999,
2nd Temecula shop in 2001, Orange co.
shop in 2004, Wildomar in 2013, Lake
Elsinore 2016.”
“I started buying rental properties in
2001 and presently have 8 rental homes
and 2 commercial buildings. I ran for city
council in 2006 and received the highest
vote total in Temecula history…and not get
elected, and again in 2008. I then ran for
the Rancho water district in 2011 and was
elected. In 2016 I ran for city council one
last time, this was going to be my last and
final attempt and got elected. It is totally
from the water district in many ways and
very similar in others.”
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