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How to Deal with a Bad Customer on Shopify
Last modified: April 17, 2024
There are many types of customers that you will find for your business. For Shopify customers, you can divide these customers into three generic groups: loyal fans, regular and bad customers. This is a rather simplistic way of looking at customers, and you can expand on that, but it is a good start.
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What are the Different Customer Groups?
Loyal fans are those that are going to stick with you. They will shop regularly with your brand and will often spend big when they make purchases. They’re the ones that help you make the most money and are typically responsible for the majority of your profit. Loyal fans will also act as word of mouth conduits, bringing in new customers to your website. Loyalty programs can typically make it easier for you to reward them and enhance the benefit they give you. Try this app to help you.
Regular customers are those that make one or a few purchases. They frequently don’t interact with your brand much. You won’t hear from them unless there is a problem, and this can sometimes be easy to resolve.
Bad customers are those that cause issues for your brand. There are numerous reasons how and why they can cause trouble for your brand. They could be those who regularly return products, at your cost, or those who make complaints all the time for product features that are clearly labelled or implied within descriptions. They can also complain about delivery times or prices.
Bad customers can end up costing your business and should be removed at all times. Some apps allow you to reduce the impact bad customers have by not offering them or allowing them to have access to discounts. It works by identifying those with a high proportion of returns and then labeling them. This label prevents the customer from getting a discount.
What to do with Bad Customers?
There are many ways that you can deal with bad customers. The first is that you can close down their account and block them from the website. There is no legal obligation that you serve everyone. If you can show that a customer is costing you money through complaints and other processes, you can just remove them. Any orders that they make can be cancelled and refunds provided. Some apps allow you to block certain customers from making orders.
A more subtle option is to not market to them. Remove them from any marketing lists and disallow their discounts. This is an effective method as bad customers often look for deals before making a purchase and then will still complain.
Another option is to get them to talk about their problems. Bad customers like to argue and if you offer little resistance or don’t react negatively to their comments it can typically stop because it gives them little joy.
Finally, you can move all correspondence to email and respond with neutral set responses. Again, this can remove some of the joy that bad customers have if they’re looking for a fight with you.
Conclusion: How to Deal with a Bad Customer on Shopify
Not everyone is a good customer. Sometimes customers are not good and need to be dealt with differently. Bad customers should be removed from the environment if you can, and not allowed to interact with your business.
Dealing with difficult customers can take a major toll on your team’s morale and lead to burnout. It’s important to have processes in place to avoid this burnout while running your store. Some apps can help on dealing with difficult customers, and you can also set up filters and rules to automatically block abusive language or deal with excessive refund requests.
The key is to not waste too much time and money catering to customers that are never going to make you money in the long run. Have a process to identify problematic customers early, and don’t be afraid to cut ties if they cross certain lines. But ensure you are complying with Shopify’s terms of service and any applicable laws when denying service. Your customer service and experience should be focused on the good-fit customers who respect your policies.
Additionally, be proactive about monitoring and responding to blog comments and social media mentions from unhappy customers. Having a strategy to address public grievances in a professional manner can help prevent them from escalating into more toxic situations.
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What are the legal implications of banning a customer from my Shopify store?
Legally, you’re not obligated to serve every customer. If a customer is consistently problematic and costing your business, you can ban them with proper justification and documentation.
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How can technology help in managing bad customers on Shopify?
Utilize apps and software to track customer behavior, flag problematic patterns, and automate responses. This helps in efficiently managing bad customers while minimizing their impact.
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Can I use customer feedback to improve my approach to bad customers on Shopify?
Yes, customer feedback, even from difficult customers, can provide insights into potential improvements in your products, services, or policies, helping to reduce future issues.
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