It will make your transactions smoother, and you can earn the trust of your customers. If you are looking for ways to level the situation, here are some helpful customer service tips to help you deal with unhappy tax clients.
Dealing with unhappy clients can be pretty frustrating, especially in the tax business. However, losing your cool in front of these people will not help the situation. Instead of making a scene, it helps to take a breather and respond in a helpful manner.
Use Active Listening
We often find ourselves responding reactively to something rather than actually listening to the speaker. This may occur when we are confronted with active criticism, drawing out a sense of defensiveness. However, this type of response is counterproductive.
When an unhappy tax clients and ranting, hear them out thoroughly before you formulate your response. Even then, try to explain your side as calmly as possible to avoid further tension.
Put Yourself in Their Shoes
Before things get heated, think about how you would feel if you were in their situation. Empathizing with your clients is an excellent way to understand where they are coming from. Majority of the time, the client isn’t actually angry with you, but at the situation at hand.
Tax clients, in particular, may be unhappy when it comes to financial crises. For instance, they will respond reactively if they expect a refund and then learn that they owe taxes instead.
If clients are sensitive about their financial situation, it can lead to them being defensive. If you respond from a place of understanding, it will lessen the strain in the room.
Don’t Invalidate Their Feelings
When dealing with a unhappy tax clients, make sure never to call them out for their behavior—instead, acknowledge their feelings of frustration. Respond professionally and in a way that will make them feel heard and validated.
When you acknowledge their feelings, it gives off the sense that you are willing to solve their problems. Even if the situation is not personally your fault, apologizing to the client will make them feel more valued.
If you are speaking with your client via phone call or email, it still helps to open your responses in a way that oozes empathy and understanding. When you speak to your client in a certain way, they are likely to respond in a similar manner.
Offer Solutions or Action Plans
If you or any team member made a mistake towards the client, offer some solutions or action plans to make things right. Make the right calls and decisions to ensure your client’s satisfaction.
If they are upset about communication errors, make sure to clear up any misunderstandings. When no immediate solution can be made, offer up some alternatives. For instance, if your client experiences unexpected tax liability, this will not necessarily be your fault.
Nevertheless, empathize with their situation and explain what went wrong as calmly as you can without sounding condescending.
Follow Up Even after Resolution
Proper customer care etiquette dictates that even after a problem with your clients has been resolved, it helps to reach out to them.
Ask your clients how everything went, especially if you forwarded their complaints to another division. Even something as simple as an email thanking them for their patronage should help.
Dealing with unhappy tax clients is a challenging aspect of the tax preparation business, but it’s crucial for maintaining a professional reputation and client satisfaction. When dealing with difficult clients, especially in scenarios involving tax issues, it’s important to remain calm, patient, and empathetic. Understanding their concerns and providing clear, concise information can often alleviate their worries. Remember, dealing with unhappy clients requires not only technical expertise but also excellent communication and problem-solving skills.
In the process of dealing with unhappy tax clients, it’s beneficial to have a strategy. If you’re wondering how to deal with difficult clients, you need to incorporate active listening, acknowledge their dissatisfaction, and propose practical solutions. Transparency and honesty in all communications are key to rebuilding trust. The effective resolution of issues not only solves the immediate problem but can also transform an unhappy client into a loyal one, thus enhancing your professional credibility in the long run.
If you are a tax preparer looking for the best professional tax software, look no further than Keystone Tax Solutions. We offer digital solutions to help online tax professionals with their tax businesses. Contact us today to learn more!
