The Embarrassed Customer

What sort of behaviours will they display?

They will be showing non-verbal cues such as avoiding eye contact or hanging their head lower than normal. They may be blushing or speaking very quietly.

How can we manage the customer that is embarrassed?

There are two types of embarrassed customer you may come across, the one that is directly embarrassed by the conversation they wish to have with you and the customer that is embarrassed by the conversation you’ve had with another customer. Whichever customer type you have you should use similar techniques to manage both.

There are some conditions that customers will be embarrassed to discuss. This will vary from customer to customer but may include issues such as bladder weakness, thrush, piles or contraception. People find these conditions embarrassing because they are unsure of how the person listening will react or worry that they will be thought of in a negative fashion because of what they’ve said. This customer type can be difficult to spot, and it may be the root cause for the angry customer.

The key to dealing with this is being professional and empathetic. The more professional you can be, the more reassured the customer will be. You could also add that many customers have discussed this with you before which will add additional reassurance. If you have the option, offer the customer the chance to have this conversation in the consultation room or quiet area. They may be more willing to share information if they feel the conversation is private. You could also offer a written list of symptoms they could point to instead of saying out loud.  Moving the customer to the consultation room will also be helpful for the second type of embarrassed customer as they won’t have to listen to the conversation they found embarrassing.