How to Deal with The "Difficult" Customer

Have you ever encountered a person who just never seems to be satisfied? This can occur anywhere at any time, especially while working in a clothing store. It is common to hear that an employee should always agree with the customer in order to keep a positive relationship with them. At times, this can be extremely difficult because the customer is not always "right," but an employee should make them feel as if they are.

Dealing with this type of person at work can cause a negative and frustrating feeling for the employee. I personally have felt stressed out because I could not meet the needs of this "difficult" customer. As I usually work with women who are above the age of 40, I have felt belittled or useless to them because of the age difference. Some women do not want my advice or do not want to ask me for help because they simply cannot connect with me. Some things that have been said to me while trying to assist a shopper are; "You wouldn't understand, you're only 20," "You don't know, you don't have the body of someone who has given birth 3 times," "This would look on someone your age, not mine," "Can you ask one of the other sales people to come tell me what they think?" The list goes on.

I have found that the best way to deal with a situation like this is to at least attempt to connect with the customer in a different way and to continuously have a friendly personality. It has taken me awhile to get used to hearing this type of feedback while trying my best to sell an item, so I have come up with a few ways to avoid any awkwardness or feelings of defeat. Some phrases that I've used (and switch up depending on the person) are...

"Yeah, it is a more youthful look, but you can definitely get away with it!"

"I may only be 22, but I have always helped my mom with deciding what to wear, I can tell when something looks right or not."

"I'll ask someone else, but I am telling you, you look amazing and I guarantee that they will agree with me."

"That top flatters your body in all the right places!"

As long as the customer earns your trust and you avoid disagreeing with them, the sale should run smoothly. Worse comes worst, you don't sell anything to that person, but you gained more experience and can be better the next time you run into a more challenging customer.