Dealing with Nigeria’s Toughest Customers

Learning how to deal with or manage difficult customers is not something that a lot of us learn or are taught by our peers, by our bosses or any. You get the point. If you've worked in Nigeria before, if you're trying to run a business in Nigeria before, nobody has given you the 411. Nobody has taught you what to do when you are face to face with a difficult customer. And it's a question that I got recently from Sunday based in Abuja.

So I thought that that would be an interesting and very practical question to tackle over here on the podcast today. Now, before we get into the meat of the matter, if you'd like to connect with me just like Sunday did, then you can call, send me a text message or WhatsApp message on 08064662140. Also, if you're interested in the 15 minute sale audit or business process audit, then you can WhatsApp me on same number 08064662140.

If you'd like to join my WhatsApp channel, send me a WhatsApp message on the same number and I will hook you up. OK, so difficult customers. Now, there are different ways of looking at it, but from a sales perspective, what we like to do is take the view that one of the reasons why we're having problems with our customers and we have difficult customers is because there are some unspoken expectations or there are some unclear obligations that came up during the conversation.

And that's the reason why there's a quarrel right now, because most people are reasonable people and most people don't go around wanting to cause ruckus, wanting to fight, wanting to quarrel all the time. Now, there are some people like that, There are some rude customers like that, people who lack home training, you know, as we say in the part of the world, but we're not talking about those people yet. So I'm trying to look at this from three angles.

Number one, I'm trying to look at problems that arise because expectations were unclear, obligations were unclear #2 I'm trying to look at situations where we're dealing with cheap customers because that's also another opportunity where we're going to have some difficulty and run into how I put it, some quarrel, some issues when you're dealing with cheap customers. Then the final way we're going to look at is when we're dealing with rude customers, as in people who just have no home training, like from the day they were born, that's just how they are their problem.

Anywhere you see their problem, you see them in church problem, in the market problem, in the office problem, they're just some people like that, that every time you see them problem. So those are the three perspectives that we are going to look at. Now, let's start off with this whole thing about expectations and obligations. Now, when we're in a conversation with a potential customer, before we collect the money, we are going to make a couple of promises.

Sometimes we make the promise and we have one thing in mind, but the customer hears it and the person has another thing in mind. For instance, let's talk about timing. You say I will deliver at the end of the month. In your own mind, end of the month is March 31st, which makes sense. But The thing is, there are some people who are some Nigerians who are kind of forward thinking. So end of the month means anything from the week of the 23rd.

So, a quarrel is going to arise at the end of the day because we were not clear about what end of the month means. You promised the end of the month and you intend to deliver on the 31st of March. The person had end of month, sorry end of the month, but they started making plans based on the week of the 23rd of March. So these are situations where 2 normal, otherwise ordinary, polite, decent, well behaved people enter into a business situation and a serious, big,

serious busy from the jump because we both were not clear about what we mean on key terms. So lots of times what we have to do, the business owner, the salesperson is we have to become really skilled at trying to figure out what do people want, what do people need. We also have to become very clear at being able to explain that this is what I mean and this is what I do not mean. We need to be clear on what it is we are promising, on what it is that we're going to deliver.

So we have to become very good at managing expectations and at setting expectations. So if you can manage and set expectations, then the number of difficult customers that you're going to deal with will reduce drastically. So when you're having conversations with people, you need to be able to figure out who am I talking to? Who is this customer? What does this person want? What does this person need? Because when we know exactly what it is that they want or need, we're going to make promises.

We're going to make recommendations that are absolutely how I put it on, on the nose that are going to be exactly the thing that they want. Because sometimes you don't have a clear sense of what it is that they need. And we make a recommendation, our honest recommendation about the product or the service that is going to solve this problem. But because we were unclear about what they really want, what they really need, we make the wrong recommendation.

At the end of the day, there's a quarrel, and the reason why there's a quarrel is because 2 otherwise decent, polite, respectable, wonderful, loving human beings just didn't have a clear understanding of what they want or what they need is. We also need to be able to know what the critical points are in this whole transaction, the core delivery points, because there's some things that are absolutely essential to our customer, but we don't tease that out.

So let's look at this whole delivery thing. You say end of the month, you mean March 31st. The person hears end of the month. They really need it for March 28th and so they think, OK, it's OK, I can start hassling the guy on March 23rd. If we had asked about timelines to figure out what the critical points are, the core delivery points are would have figured out that the person actually needs XYZ to be installed at this particular date so that they can derive a particular benefit.

We need to ask, we also need to know the whole point of asking who they are, what it is that they want and what it is that they need is because we're going to be able to do some internal work. Because for some of us, we need to clearly assess do we have the inventory? Do we have the products in store? Do we have the skill sets to be able to make a happy customer out of this person. That is the reason why we need to ask these questions.

So at the end of the day, we'll deliver something that will call Square for us and then we'll be angry because we've done our best and we think that the customer is unappreciative and then the customer on the other hand thinks that you're a fraud. These things are happening just because we're not able to determine the expectations, determine the obligations. And that's the reason why there's a quarrel. Now for those of us who are self-employed people, business owners, I keep saying we have to take the initiative.

We have to keep getting feedback every single step of the process and to make sure that we're on the same page. So you should be asking people. So Madam, we've agreed that delivery is going to be end of the month. You're OK with that, right? Madam says yes also. OK, Good. So is there anybody who is going to be at home March 31st to take delivery then? Madam was March 31st. Did you not say end of the month? I said no, Madam, end of the month is March 31st.

He said Ibago actually need this thing to be installed on March 28th. You see, because you're trying to get feedback to figure out if we're on the same page, we have come up with a potential problem. Now remember what I said about inventory and skill set? You now have to make the hard choice. Talk to yourself, talk to your business partners. Can we install this thing by the 28th of March? We can't be bold enough to tell Madam no or descend us someplace else.

If you say we would try is 5050, then I'm telling you very, very. It is 5050. In fact, it's 100%. You end up quarreling with Madam at the end of the day because you will rush to get this job done. You forget one or two things, you know, because it's normal human beings big mistake when we're under pressure. So we need to be clear and all these things. One of the reasons why a lot of us are having difficult customers in our businesses in Nigeria is because we have not been good at managing expectations, figuring out obligations.

We have not been clear about what it is that we are promising, what it is that we're delivering, how we're going to deliver, when we're going to deliver or whether we make a recommendation and proposal that is adequate for what the customer or the client actually needs. If we want to reduce this whole thing of difficult customers, we need to be come very clear at understanding expectations, managing expectations, setting expectations.

When you do that, the number of queries that you have on your customers will go down. Then dealing with cheap customers. You know that in Nigeria currently at the time of making this podcast, we're going through a period of hyperinflation. People have poor earning capacity. And of course, you know what they say now any man is broke, he needs to assert himself. You understand? You know, when a customer, let me just put it, when they're broke, they need to assert themselves.

Nobody wants to be taken for a ride. So that's one of the reasons why cheap customers are going to be powder care golf dispute. They don't have much money. The money that they have is valuable to them, so they're going to put their eye on that money severely. If you don't live up to it, there's going to be serious quarrel. When you're dealing with customers who have money and they pay you 125 K for something, it's not, it's not that much.

It's not a big deal. While you're dealing with somebody who is cheap, any capacity is not much. The person has dropped 125 K that might be 80% of their salary, so you know, or 50% of their salary as far as they're concerned, like or more this thing had better work, better work, correct? And like I don't anticipate any hiccups for all this kind of this, this kind of big money that I'm dropping. So of course, we have to become very good to clarify what the expectations are, to manage expectations.

We have to do it hawkishly when we're dealing with cheap customers. When I say hawkishly, I mean like shy your eye beyond the ball, don't lose control, don't slack at all. You are dealing with a cheap customer. You can't slack. You need to be very clear about these things. Then another thing, when you're dealing with cheap customers, don't ask for referrals from them. Don't pursue referrals from them because people usually refer clients that are like them.

If you're dealing with a cheap person, you have escaped, there was no problem. Don't go back to that person and ask that oh do you know any other person who is interested in XYZ? Don't secure referrals from them. You will get more cheap customers and there'll be plenty of opportunity for quarrel again. So when we're starting off, know how know how we'll deal with cheap customers because in the beginning every single money is good money, no problem.

But after you've gained some traction, after you've diversified your client base, try and avoid these cheap customers. I'm not saying that. I'm not saying they're not worthy of good service. We're not saying that if you don't have the mind to be dealing with these kinds of people, then just walk on by. Let them be. Don't get referral from them. Now let's look at the final class, which is rude customers. Sorry, 1 moment.

OK, sorry about that. I had to take a phone call. You know, I make all my podcast recordings on the phone. OK, so now the final class of people, rude customers, people who lack home training. I was just saying this part of the world. Now in dealing with these people, you need to understand one thing. If you're not a rude person yourself, if you don't lack home training yourself, don't argue with these people because you can't win, all right?

These people who are rude, who are doubts, who are, you know, that's just how they are. They were born that way. They've been raised at home that way. And these kinds of confrontations give them joy. If you're not like them, do not engage. You will not win. Even if you win, it will not be fun for you. So this is what you do #1 you empathize. Oh, Mr. Sasso, Madam, so, so, so sorry that you feel that way. I understand perfectly.

Yeah. If this thing happened to me, I will feel the same way. Empathize. It takes the steam out of the situation. Now for anybody who is watching, if you're trying to empathize and they'll continue to be on the aggressive, you know, that is the kind of thing that people who will say abroad like relax. Now I was going yourself. You do the para, like relax, Madam is trying to solve this thing. Like why are you, you know, so empathize because you can't win.

If you like fighting and no problem, engage. If it gives you joy, engage. What if you're like me, you know, a troublesome person, then just empathize. Oh, I'm terribly sorry. If this sort of thing happened to me, I wouldn't be happy about it as well. Then you accept responsibility. When I say accept responsibility, I do not mean accept blame. Accepting blame is when you say it is my fault. Accepting responsibility is just.

Sir, Madam, I understand what has happened. So this is what I'm going to do. I'm going to take responsibility to make sure that we resolve this matter today or that we resolve this matter before the end of the week, before the end of the month, whatever. I'll do what was in my power to make sure that we resolve this so that at the end of the day, all of us are happy. So don't worry. I personally take responsibility. I'll do my best to make sure that this thing is solved.

Then you slip into step three questions, Bros. Olga, Madam, to solve this problem, I need to ask you a few questions because I'm just trying to figure out exactly what it is that is going on. Is that OK? And then you go ahead and ask your questions. So in asking those questions, you're trying to figure out what the core issues are, where the problem arose. Because it is only when you figure out how the problem arose and what the core issues are,

then you can move to Step 4, which is make a proposal that, OK, I figured out what's going on. This is what we're going to do to solve the problem. If you happen to work for somebody else, this is the point where if it's not satisfactory, you escalate to your line manager, you escalate to your business owner. Unfortunately, some people have to get involved in ADR. That is alternative dispute resolution. That's why you call some lawyers.

You don't really go to court. You go to a multi door courthouse or you know, whatever you know your lawyers talk together washer you get outside parties and try and resolve the dispute. That is alternative dispute resolution. But for most cases, you'll find that empathizing, accepting responsibility, asking questions, and putting forward a new proposal should be enough to deal with most of most of these situations. But if you like to deal with these rude people and you like to fight and it gives you joy,

then go ahead, fight with them. Enjoy. But summary dealing with difficult customers in Nigeria Number one, avoid cheap customers. OK, we've already spoken about how to deal with rude people by taking control of the situation. Then make sure that we understand and set expectations correctly and make sure that we're getting feedback at every single step of the process to be sure that you and the customer, you people understand yourself,

you are moving like 5 or 6 so that there's no problem. So if we do that, hopefully dealing with difficulties situations or managing difficult customers should become a whole lot easier. So applying these principles can be tricky. So if you need me to look into your own particular circumstances, give me a call, send me a text message or a WhatsApp message on 08064662140. If you also want to try out the 15 minute sales audit, WhatsApp me on 08064662140 to join my WhatsApp channel, send a message to the same number.

So that's it today. If you've gotten value from the podcast, be sure to subscribe, like share on Spotify, YouTube, Apple, or any player of your choice. Let your friends and family members know that we have good quality podcasting. Sorry, I say podcasting good quality, you know, business programming in Asia. So that's it. Thanks for your time and attention. I'll catch you at the next episode.