What do you do when a client insults you?

Question

I wrote an email to a client - a helpful email mind you sending her information she requested- and she writes -
"why are you sending information with exclamation points at the end. Is supplying this information so that it is accessible causing you some sort of excitement.
Also in my last email I let you know the PDFs worked so there is no need to continue with the screen shots."
this is what i had written which caused such rudeness-
"Subject : try this!
if this file doesnt work for you i will figure something out!"
I work in Ad sales for an internet company. I wrote back apologies to the client and copied my boss. but i feel completely insulted ! (exclamation point)
what can someone in my position do/ say to the client that tells them first, that i'm sorry for being so "unprofessional" but also lets them know how rude they are in turn? i'm very hurt by this as i have great relations with my clients and am very nice and sincere in my emails. i know its not personal but ouch!

just so you are all clear, i'd been helping this person for a while. we were going back and forth for a few emails and SHE couldnt get the file to work. I was being the usual kind helpful person and trying different things so SHE would have what SHE needed.

and by the way, this is a forum, not an english class.

I didnt write EXACTLY that but when you are bouncing emails back and forth do you really need to be "dear mr so and so" everytime? i mean come on people! this is a fast paced environment. i see your points as being valid though criticising my writing on Yahoo!Answers is hardly helpful. i believe i'm clear in my question and i have a mature voice. so for all of those who are actually addressing the question, thank you.

Answer 1

A couple of rules:
- You gain nothing from being confrontational. In fact, it will only hurt _you_ in the long run. Do you really think there is something you can do or say to -really- change the person who offended you? So weigh the consequences vs the confrontation (pick your battles)

- Stay positive. Answer the question "Is supplying this information so that it is accessible causing you some sort of excitement" with something like "Thank you Mr/Mrs Client for the feedback. I always put my clients first and welcome this opportunity to learn. I want you to know that helping my clients achieve their goals is very exciting for me and that is why I have chosen the position that I have with this company. It's getting to work with people like you and help solve problems for customers that gets me out of bed each morning."

Ok, here's some tough love for you:
a. The client DID tell you to use PDFs, you sent screenshots. So that might have been where the REAL frustration came from. Not your exclamation points, but from the stance that your client felt like you weren't listening to them.

b. Your email was short and informal, this makes it easier for clients to send you a short and informal email back (which makes those sort of insults occur more frequently).

I'm also in the internet business, so I know how tough it can be for you. The old adage sucks, but "The Customer is Always Right" is fairly true. At least it is if you want to keep doing business with them! :)

Hope that helps, and Good Luck!

Answer 2

Well, I've been insulted before by clients as well, not I work for them, just work for the company and deal with them. I use to retaliate back, but unless I'm really hurt by what they've said I let it go. I would definitely send an apology email explaining what you mean and that for her/him to send you that email like you were being unprofessional made you realize it didn't come off in the way you felt it would, and not they do not need to be rude about it -instead they too can try to be professional about the situation, because you are hurt by their demeanor.

Answer 3

Sadly, you have pretty much one option. You can or cannot write back to apologize for the way in which she took your message. Tell her it was not your intention to come across that way. As for telling her that she was rude in return.....being that she is a client you can't really do that in any sort of manner with any couth. My suggestion would be to send her the apology, finish the work day, go home and cuss, cry, eat ice cream, down some beer, whatever you do to unwind then come in the next day without it even on your mind any further. I know people can be so rude and I feel for you.

Answer 4

Don't use exclamation marks. They may seem like you're excited (unprofessionally so), or you have attitude.

Also, if that is your entire e-mail to a client with regard to something, then may I suggest a business communications class? Yes, it is a forum, not an English class; however, to quote my sister, "billions of dollars are spent by businesses every year to teach their employees the art of writing clearly and concisely." If you want to look professional, you should make sure that professionalism is evident even in your writing.

The following makes you look unprofessional:
Lack of capitalisation
Exclamation marks
Too brief (brief messages are good, but there should be more content, including the typical "Dear sir/madam/To whom it may concern/et cetera.")
Lack of proper punctuation ("If this file doesn't work for you, I will figure something out.")

A slightly more professional message would have been:
Dear _____,

If this file doesn't work, please tell me and I will figure something out. Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,
'your name'

Admittedly, she is lacking a couple question marks as well, where they would be appropriate.

I can see where she is coming from, however, I also see that she is rude as well. If you can do without her as a client, I would definitely say lose her. You may consider adding something along the lines of:
"I was so excited to have you as a client that I must have overlooked that little bit. Thank you for being so understanding of my small lapse in attention."
If you put that somewhere in your next message to her, it's a rather double-edged sword. On the one side, you're being sincere in that you're happy to have her as a client, on the other, you're pointing out her obvious bad taste in a way that may not immediately register.

Answer 5

Learn to live with rudeness from clients, and be gracious. Be careful about what you say or write in a letter or e-mail, because rude clients are the one who complain to management. You are justified in how you feel, but don't show it and keep quiet about it.

The best policy is to always be niece, no matter how rude the client may be.

Answer 6

If you are a professional, Yes, you need to be Dear Mrs So and So all the time.

That said, shrug it off. Maybe she was having a bad day.
You have bad days, don't you?

Let it go and move on, and take it as a learning experience to stay professional with your clients.

Answer 7

There is always one that will be rude and insulting. You don't 'have to take that you just might not gel personality-wise with this person. See if someone else can take this client and help them with their problem. It's not you that probably did anything the client might have just had a bad weekend. don't' take is so personal!

Answer 8

Rule #1 - the client is always right.

Rule #2 - the personal possessive "I" is always capitalized.

You should reply with your apologies for any offense you may have caused. But, I personally believe that the reply the client sent was a joke.

Answer 9

Yeah, the exclamation points are pretty irritating. You sound like you are being rude with them. It's so hard to project your feelings in an email and a lot times it gets misconstrued.

Answer 10

Are you in high demand and you don't need their business? Or do you really need the money?

If you don't need them, I would write them back and say "I'm sorry to hear that we do not meet your needs. Regrettably, we have decided that it is best to offer our services to another client."

If you do need them, I would probably ignore the statement.