How to deal with a customer you don’t like

We deal with all kinds of people in our work and some of them are not always easy to work with.

When you have a client that you think will give you a hard time, try implementing the tactics below for a smoother mode of operation.

Be professional

You don’t have to be friends with your client to do your job. Obviously, it would be best if your client is someone you can work with easily and in a friendly manner. However, in real life this is unfortunately not always the case and sometimes we have to deal with people we cannot get along well with.

In this type of situation, it is best to keep in mind that you are a professional, that you are there to do your job and that you will not see this person in your private life. Separate your emotions from your work and treat this person neutrally. You don’t need to gossip or try to crack jokes during work or meetings, just talk to him about your work and tell him what you need, but don’t go overboard.

Note everything

In order not to have any problems with your client in the future, be sure to write down everything in detail. Especially when working with clients who aren’t very understanding, it’s more important than ever to write everything down.

Create a project plan with milestones and timelines. Explain to him how the work will go and how you prefer to receive feedback on your work. Also, don’t forget to add how you will handle change requests.

If you set mutual expectations up front, it will be much easier for you and your client to work through the project.

Delegate some of the work

Build a good team if you can. You don’t have to be the only person doing the job, delegate some parts of the job to your teammates. Let other people share your responsibilities.

For example, don’t feel obligated to attend all client meetings; your colleagues can also manage them without you. Do not let yourself be absorbed only by this project and take a step back from time to time.