In the years of my career, nothing has been a greater challenge than dealing with the conflict in the workplace. It is something that nobody gets taught to handle property in school, and it is rarely taught at home. My first ever job was in clothing retail and I picked up valuable tips on conflict resolution by watching my first store manager defuse these often heated situations in the most graceful manner.

It is a given that in any business, conflict will arise. Whether you are in a management position, or simply the unlucky employee that answered the upset client’s call, it is important to learn how to deal with these conflicts in a professional manor.When missing a deadline or making a mistake on an important project or where your company has clearly been at fault, there is a right and a wrong way to handle the situation.

Getting the call from a very upset client is a horrible feeling that I am sure we are all familiar with. Firstly, handle the conflict as soon as possible. Leaving it to blow over or resolve itself is a bad idea and it rarely goes away on its own. Not addressing it immdietly also shows the client that you lack the interest in resolving the matter, which only makes the situation worse.

Remember that the client you have disappointed needs to have their say. Don’t cut them off while they are speaking, or interrupt them with buts and excuses. They need to express their disappointment, and it is your role to listen to them and have empathy with their situation. Make sure they feel listened to by saying things like “I understand how you feel…” or agreeing with them. This often defuses their anger by itself.

Stay calm if the client is shouting, and whatever you do, do not lose your temper. Remember not to take it personally and understand that the client is mostly upset with the situation and not with you personally. Depersonalise the situation, this means to shift the focus to what is wrong rather than who is wrong.

Acknowledging that you or your company has made a mistake is a good first step to finding resolution. It shows that you take responsibility for your actions. There is nothing more cowardly than passing the blame to an employee, colleague or manager and it puts your company in a bad light when you do. Don’t let blame cause division within the company. The company should function as a holistic team, and when conflict arises, your team should stand even stronger as one.

Always have a solution for the client you have disappointed, and if the call is sudden and you were not prepared and armed with a solution, tell your client that you will call them back shortly with a solution.

After the conflict was resolved, avoid disappointing the client again. Learn from the mistake that was made. If it was as a result of negligence on your company’s part, put systems in place that would prevent similar mistakes in the future.

There is however, the client that is known to be unreasonable. The client that, even if you give your best, is never satisfied or happy and impossible to please. Know when to draw the line with these clients. It is not worth taking abuse from them at the price of poisoning your company’s morale or your employee’s work confidence, so rather let those clients go.

When conflict arises with a client, see it as an opportunity to build on the relationship. Often times the relationship is strengthened, not by the many times your client is happy or satisfied, but by the conflicts and the way you handle and resolve them.

Lorraine Coetzee is a Digital Media Project Manager for Sound Idea Digital | Lorraine@soundidea.co.za | Sound Idea Digital | www.soundidea.co.za