How to Approach A Difficult Client who I Know is Wrong

[Malin889]

I have a bit of an issue. I have a part time company where I work parties (Bartend, serve, event manage). It’s something I’ve done for a long time as a second job. It’s not my full time job, but it’s something I do a few times a month for extra money. I own the company, and I have a small staff who help me out during larger parties. Anyway, I had two of my staff members work a party for me this past weekend because I had my own party I had to work. The party they worked was a referral from one of my long time clients who I just adore; they’ve referred me several times to their neighbors and family; they’re great. My staff is fantastic. They are all long time servers and bartenders who also have cooking experience. I trust them explicitly. They are responsible, they are experienced, they are tidy, they always go the extra mile.

 

When I spoke to this client weeks before the party, she was saying she was looking for help. She said last year she had 100 people and no help at her party.

I suggested having 2 people to help her if she’s having 100 guests. She agreed. She told me she felt weird having help – that she’s very hippie-ish and felt weird about having help at all.

 

Anyway, so the party comes and goes, I ask my staff how it went. They said it went good, but there were a few things they were concerned about. They mentioned how the house, esp kitchen was very messy when they arrived, but they did clean everything up and left the kitchen much cleaner than when they arrived, as they always do. They also were told by the client to have the dessert by one time, and when an earlier time came, she said “where’s the dessert”, and they said, “you said to bring it out XXX but don’t worry, we’ll bring it out now if you want it earlier, no worries.” They she also mentioned how she didn’t like how they assembled one of the appetizers out on a platter. While they were there, they said they were a little uncomfortable because she got into a couple little arguments with her husband in front of them, and she was talking down to her nanny, one of her kids was lying in the kitchen having a meltdown for most of the party, then she was complaining to them that the husband gave away a bunch of the leftovers to the neighbors.

 

Anyway, they/we take all parties in stride. It’s always fun to work parties and people are a hoot, even difficult clients can be a hoot.

 

But what bothered me was this: I reached out to her the next day to see how everything went. She didn’t respond, but then she calls me the next day to give me feedback. She said the staff was “good, but not great”. Saying how they worked so hard, but she wouldn’t recommend them to other people. But would recommend me, who she has seen at numerous parties her neighbor had. She said “maybe it’s me, maybe I need to learn how to delegate better, this was the first time I had help.” “Or maybe because you weren’t there with them.” (They’ve worked several parties solo and always get great reviews.) She picked on several things they did “wrong”: Mentioning the platter that wasn’t prepared to her liking (she never told them how to do it until after it was done wrong), mentioned that she went to heat something up in the microwave, and it looked like something splattered all over the microwave and they didn’t clean it up (they never used the microwave), finally, the dessert being brought out at a different time than what she thought she said.

 

She told me not to tell them what she said, and that she “gave them a generous tip” because she didn’t want to make them feel bad. If she thinks they didn’t do a good job, why tip them, then call to complain about it?

 

I defend my workers 100% because I’ve worked with them on many many occasions – they are awesome, they always go above and beyond, and have saved me on a few occasions! They are fantastic without a doubt. I’ve worked with non-experienced/bad people before, and they are not at all bad.

 

I was going to email this client, just to say, Thank you for your feedback, It’s been worrying me the last few days, I expressed my concerns to my staff (even though she told me not too!):

-They never used the microwave, so that must have happened before they arrived. (They did mention the kitchen was a bit of a mess when they arrived)

-That she did say a different time for the desserts.

 

My question is: How do essentially tell a difficult client: You’re wrong without saying actually saying that? Or do I just sweep it under the rug and move on? I have another party with one of her neighbors in a few weeks; I’m afraid I’ll see her at the party and I don’t want to see her. She seems like the type of person to pick on things and find wrong, when there really isn’t anything wrong at all. Am I making too much of this?

[Art_Critic]

Providing you got fully paid you don't tell her she is wrong, you suck it up and move on...

 

What you can do however is when you reply to her email just take responsibility for the night and thank her for her feedback ensuring her you are on top of it for future parties..

 

You will then retain the client.

 

If you get into a pissing match with her you can kiss future business goodbye and remember, for every bad review someone will tell 5 people their negative experience compared to 1 for every good review/experience and her side is the side that will be told...

 

You can't please them all....

 

If you didn't get paid the agreed upon amount then would be the time to plead your side..

[Malin889]

Providing you got fully paid you don't tell her she is wrong, you suck it up and move on...

 

What you can do however is when you reply to her email just take responsibility for the night and thank her for her feedback ensuring her you are on top of it for future parties..

 

You will then retain the client.

 

If you get into a pissing match with her you can kiss future business goodbye and remember, for every bad review someone will tell 5 people their negative experience compared to 1 for every good review/experience and her side is the side that will be told...

 

You can't please them all....

 

If you didn't get paid the agreed upon amount then would be the time to plead your side..

 

Thanks for your reply! Her feedback wasn’t in an email, it was in a phone call, we talked it through together. (Sorry, I know my post was long!). I was thinking that too, that if I do send an email, she might see my email and no matter what I say she’ll think that she is right and will probably tell her neighbors not to call me. She seems like that type of person unfortunately. So maybe it’s best to just let it lie. I don’t feel the need to take responsibility again because we already talked about it on the phone. And yes, she paid me.

[Mr. Lucky]

I have another party with one of her neighbors in a few weeks; I’m afraid I’ll see her at the party and I don’t want to see her. She seems like the type of person to pick on things and find wrong, when there really isn’t anything wrong at all. Am I making too much of this?

 

Yes, you're making too much. Dealing with the public, you need a thicker skin and an ability to detach in order to survive and prosper.

 

If you see her, smile your warmest fake smile and thank her for her business...

 

Mr. Lucky

[d0nnivain]

You don't. You simply make a note of her name & never do work for her again in the future.

[preraph]

Your client is the one who wasn't organized. Instead of giving instructions she critiqued afterwards. I wouldn't even say anything to your crew. and I would just tell your client you appreciate the feedback and no worries and you didn't try to be there next time yourself.

 

but then you're still not a mind-reader so I'm not sure how you avoid her doing the same thing to you.

[basil67]

I agree that you should simply move on and make a note not to work for her again.

[preraph]

I'm sorry about my voice typing. I mean tell her thanks for the feedback and you'll try to be there next time. I would not quit working for her. She did tip them anyway and you've had good luck with her in the past. I'd kiss her butt and keep the client and show up at least long enough to just put the plan in place next time and then maybe step out, and come do a lookover to be sure they cleaned up good or tie up anything she needs afterward.

[OpenBook]

My question is: How do essentially tell a difficult client: You’re wrong without saying actually saying that? Or do I just sweep it under the rug and move on? I have another party with one of her neighbors in a few weeks; I’m afraid I’ll see her at the party and I don’t want to see her. She seems like the type of person to pick on things and find wrong, when there really isn’t anything wrong at all. Am I making too much of this?

 

I wouldn't tell her anything. Don't email her at all. Just do your normal fantastic job at the neighbor's upcoming party. Let the quality of your work speak for itself. And the next time this lady calls you to cater her event, be ready with a recommendation of another (good) catering service, because you unfortunately are already booked for other events.

[salparadise]

I wouldn't tell her anything. Don't email her at all. Just do your normal fantastic job at the neighbor's upcoming party. Let the quality of your work speak for itself. And the next time this lady calls you to cater her event, be ready with a recommendation of another (good) catering service, because you unfortunately are already booked for other events.

 

I agree 100 percent. This is one of those people who can’t be pleased. It’s actually even worse because the dessert timing and microwave are her imaginary problems. You don’t want clients like this; they will damage your reputation, and reputation is everything. Let her have the last word and move on.

 

I’d suggest creating a client agreement if you don’t already have one. It would set the expectation and avoid misunderstandings... and keep clients from moving the goalposts. It looks professional too. You might not need it for clients you already have a great relationship with, but new clients would start with it. Use checklists and make as much as possible objective (timing of desserts). Good agreements make good clients happy, and tend tokeep malcontents at bay.

[Malin889]

I wouldn't tell her anything. Don't email her at all. Just do your normal fantastic job at the neighbor's upcoming party. Let the quality of your work speak for itself. And the next time this lady calls you to cater her event, be ready with a recommendation of another (good) catering service, because you unfortunately are already booked for other events.

 

Thank you, will do! :-)

 

I did write a quick email yesterday saying: “I wanted to thank you so much for the feedback from your party on Saturday. I appreciate the feedback and the business, and I wish you and your family a happy holiday season.” I thought that was professional and kind.

 

I don’t plan to take her party if she does call me again.

[Malin889]

I agree 100 percent. This is one of those people who can’t be pleased. It’s actually even worse because the dessert timing and microwave are her imaginary problems. You don’t want clients like this; they will damage your reputation, and reputation is everything. Let her have the last word and move on.

 

I’d suggest creating a client agreement if you don’t already have one. It would set the expectation and avoid misunderstandings... and keep clients from moving the goalposts. It looks professional too. You might not need it for clients you already have a great relationship with, but new clients would start with it. Use checklists and make as much as possible objective (timing of desserts). Good agreements make good clients happy, and tend tokeep malcontents at bay.

 

It’s very true, sadly, she seems very hard to please and I would be paranoid working for her that no matter how good the job is, it wouldn’t be good enough for her! I like how you called them imaginary problems, lol!