Dealing With Difficult Customers At P.T.Tunggal Jaya Utama, Bandung.

 

ABSTRACT

Perusahaan sedapat mungkin membina hubungan yang baik dengan
para pelanggannya melalui para staf customer service. Tujuan dari
adanya hubungan baik tersebut adalah untuk mendapatkan kepercayaan
dari pelanggan sehingga terjadi peningkatan permintaan. Di P.T. Tunggal
Jaya Utama (TJU), usaha membina hubungan yang baik dengan
pelanggan tersebut dilakukan dengan semaksimal mungkin memenuhi
permintaan pelanggan, menanggapi keluhan, dan memperbaiki kesalahan.
Berdasarkan pengamatan, dalam usaha tersebut, staf mengalami
masalah yaitu adanya kesulitan dalam menghadapi pelanggan tertentu.
Pelanggan yang sulit dihadapi ini biasanya adalah pelanggan yang marah,
tidak mau paham dengan keadaan ketika timbul suatu masalah sehingga
susah diajak bicara dan susah menemukan jalan keluar dari masalah
yang timbul; juga pelanggan yang terus menerus menawar atau
memaksakan anggarannya sesuai keinginannya.
Untuk mengetahui penyebab, efek, dan solusi dari masalah kesulitan
dalam menghadapi pelanggan tertentu di P.T.TJU tersebut, dilakukan
pengamatan terhadap staf customer service dan pelanggan yang

bersangkutan. Pengamatan didasarkan pada data-data literatur yang
didapat dari buku dan Internet. Ada tiga (3) penyebab dan tiga (3) efek
yang terjadi akibat masalah tersebut. Penyebab-penyebabnya adalah
adanya kesalahan yang telah dilakukan oleh pihak perusahaan, adanya
perbedaan pandangan prioritas kepentingan antara pihak perusahaan dan
pelanggan yang bersangkutan, serta adanya permintaan dari pihak
pelanggan yang sulit untuk dipenuhi. Efek-efek dari masalah tersebut
adalah penggunaan waktu dan tenaga yang lebih untuk menangani
mereka, keuntungan perusahaan berkurang karena adanya pemberian
kompensasi untuk mengganti kesalahan, serta meningkatnya tingkat
stress staff perusahaan sehingga berdampak negatif pada kinerja mereka.
Berdasarkan pengamatan dan teori-teori dari literatur, didapatkan
kesimpulan bahwa solusi yang tepat untuk masalah kesulitan dalam
menghadapi pelanggan tertentu adalah dengan memberikan penanganan
yang lebih kepada pelanggan tersebut, mendengarkan permintaan dan
keluhan dengan sabar dan tidak berargumentasi dengan pelanggan yang
marah, kemudian setelah pelanggan mengekspresikan keluhan-keluhan
mereka, pihak perusahaan dapat memberikan kompensasi atau bonus. 

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABSTRACT…………………………………………………………………….. i
TABLE OF CONTENTS……………………………………………………….ii
CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION…………………………………………….. 1-5
A. Background of the Study………………………………. 1
B. Identification of the Problem…………………………… 2
C. Objectives and Benefit of the Study…………………… 2
D. Description of the Institution…………………………… 3
E. Method of the Study…………………………………….. 4
F. Limitation of the Study………………………………….. 4
G. Organization of the Term Paper……………………….. 5
CHAPTER II. PROBLEM ANALYSIS……………………………………… 6-8
CHAPTER III. POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS…………………………………9-12
CHAPTER IV. CONCLUSION…………………………………………….13-14

BIBLIOGRAPHY
APPENDICES:
A. FLOWCHART

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FLOWCHART

`

Chosen Solution:
Potential Solution I, II

CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION

A. Background of the Study
Dealing with customers is a routine activity for the person who works in
a marketing department, including customer service staff. Dealing with
customers will not be easy if it deals with some difficult customers.
“Difficult customers come in several varieties, including angry, impatient,
intimidating, talkative, demanding, and indecisive customers” (Lipow 1).
The most difficult customer to handle is the customers who are angry
(Kahle 1). During my internship, I also experienced that the angry
customer is more difficult to handle than other customers because they did
not want to listen to the explanation and the solution given. This type of
customers has to be handled carefully; otherwise, they can be more
difficult. There is a possibility that difficult customer can become worse if
the staff cannot satisfy them with his / her explanation. The staff should
know the way to handle them professionally. The purpose of knowing the
way to handle them is to have a good relationship with the customers. By
having a good relationship, the customers will trust the company; thus,
there will be a continuous increase in demand and profit.

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The problem of dealing with difficult customers also happens at P.T.
Tunggal Jaya Utama (P.T. TJU), Bandung. P.T. TJU, as a private
company based on property and contractor field, always has a direct
relationship with the customers in its activity; therefore, the company
always needs a good relationship with each customer. The company
should try to give all customers want. However, some problems
sometimes occur and those make some customers angry, impatient, and
difficult to handle. When dealing with this situation, not all staff knows how
to handle it. Furthermore, there is a probability that the customers will
leave the company.
The situation in which the customer service has to deal with the difficult
customers and to keep the good relationship with them becomes an
interesting and valuable case to be studied. This study aims at finding the
causes, the effects, and the solutions of dealing with the difficult customers
at P.T. TJU.

B. Identification of the Problem
1. Why do some customers become difficult or too difficult to handle?
2. What are the best ways to deal with difficult customers

professionally?

C. Objectives and Benefits of the Study
The objectives:

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1. It is to know the reason of customers becoming difficult or more
difficult to handle.
2. It is to know the way to handle the difficult customers professionally
and the benefit of it for the person who deal with them, and for the
company.

The benefits:
1. For P.T. TJU, this study would be useful for the customer service
staff to know how to handle difficult customers and to be better in
handling customers in the future.
2. For readers, this study provides a real case about the problem of
dealing with difficult customers, besides theories to be compared

with the case. Thus, the benefit from this study for the readers is
they would get more knowledge and experience about the topic.
3. For me, the benefit is gaining more experience and knowledge
about the topic both in theories and a practice.

D. Description of the Institution
P.T. Tunggal Jaya Utama (P.T. TJU) is a private wooden house
industry company, including general contractor, property, general trading
and export – import. P.T. TJU is located at Jalan Ir.H.Juanda No. 250,
Bandung-Indonesia. Since founded by Rizky Masyani in 1999, P.T. TJU
has grown and made some valuable contributions to the property sector in
Indonesia. P.T. TJU’s vision is becoming the best wooden house industry

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in Indonesia. Its mission is to have a good relationship with the customers,
after sales service. Recently, P.T. TJU is expanding the joint venture with
some national and international companies.

E. Method of the Study
The data were collected from literatures and observation. The
literatures are theories about customers’ behavior, to handle customers,
especially about difficult customers, which were taken from books, and
Internet. The observation was done during my internship at P.T. TJU. The
data which were taken from observation are: general data about P.T. TJU,
such as company profile, data of activities of customer service in handling
the customers and handling the problems, and also documentation which
are pictures and journal.

F. Limitation of the Study
The study has some limitations. First, the study was done in P.T. TJU
office, in the marketing department, the customer service and follow up
subdivisions for two months (December 2008 – February 2009). Second,
the ones who were observed were only the customer service and follow up
subdivision staff, who often dealt with the customers.

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G. Organization of the Term Paper
The main content of this term paper consists of four chapters. The first
chapter is the Introduction. This chapter is an introduction and general
information about problem of the study, start from the background of the
study, identification of the problem, objectives and benefits of the study,
description of the institution, method of the study, limitation of the study,
and organization of the term paper. The second chapter is the problem
analysis. This chapter is an analysis to the problem of the study’s causes
and effects, based on the related theories. The third chapter is the
potential solution. This chapter is an analysis to the potential solutions to
the problem of the study, with positive and negative effects of each
solution, based on related theories. The last chapter is the conclusion.
This chapter is the answer to the problem of study’s questions in chapter
one, get by combining the analysis problem and solutions. The best
solution to the problem of study would be explained in this chapter, with
their reasons.

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CHAPTER IV
CONCLUSION

Dealing with the difficult customers becomes a customer service staff’s
problem in P.T. Tunggal Jaya Utama (TJU). In the previous chapters, it
has been discussed that there are causes and effects of the problem. The
causes of the problem are the staff of the company makes mistakes; there
is a different point of view between the customers and the staff; and the
customers have a difficult demand. The effects of the problem are the
company will have to spend more time and effort in handling the difficult
customers; will get less profit to solve the problem by giving some
compensations to them; and the staff stress level will increase.
In the previous chapter, there are some other discussions on potential
solutions of the problem, with the positive and negative effects of each
potential solution. The potential solutions are respecting the customers
even when they are angry; giving some compensations to the customers;
and stop working with the customers whose demands cannot be done by
the company.

This chapter presents the best solution to solve the problem that has
been discussed in the previous chapter. The best way to solve the
problem is by applying the first and the second potential solutions. The first

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solution is respecting the difficult customers. The second solution is giving
the customers some compensations. First, it is better to apply the first
solution; then, in the condition that the first solution does not work, go to
the second solution.
The best solution to deal with the difficult customers is to respect them.
By respecting the customers, they would assume that the company
respect and understand them; thus, expectedly, they would decide on
trusting the company again. The customers would keep in business
relation with the company, if the company solves their problem as soon as
possible (Foster 1). In addition, the company will still take control of the
difficult situation and would not lose the customers. Respect is a first step
of customers’ need when they are upset or angry, but when they do not
feel respected by the company or the company try jump to the solutions,
they may be more difficult (Fairweather 1). That is the reason why respect
is taken first before giving compensation. If the staff gives compensation to
the customer at the first time they complain, it may not let the customers
vent their feeling, and they may become more difficult. However, if the
customers have vented their feeling but they are still being difficult, the
company could give them bonus, in order to calm them down.
In conclusion, the customers need to vent their feeling when they are
angry or complain. Thus, the best solution to deal with this problem is first,
respect the customers in that situation, and finally, if the respecting
solution fails, give the customers some compensations in order to fix the
mistakes that the company does and to calm them down.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Printed Sources
Foster, R. V. Timothy. How to be Better at: Customer Care. Trans. Agus
Teguh H. Jakarta: Gramedia, 2001.

Electronic Sources
Blanchard, Olivia. “Customer Complain are Great.” The Brand Builder. 3
Oct. 2005. The Brand Builder. 4 June 2009.
.
Fairweather, Alan. “Difficult Customers - There's No Such Thing.” Small
Business Success. 5 Feb.2007. 13 Nov.2008.
< http://www.howtogetmoresales.com/>.
Koontz, Christie. “Stores and Libraries: Both Serve Customers! “ Marketing
Library Service Home Page. 16 Jan. – Feb. 2002:1. Marketing Library
Service. 10 Sept.2008. .
Kahle, Dave. “Dealing with Difficult Customers.” The Kahle Way Sales
Management System. 4 June 2007. Dave Kahle & The DaCo
Corporation.13 Nov.2008.
< http://www.davekahle.com/article/dealing.html>.

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Lee, Leah. ” Business Gifts Can Create Brand Awareness.” The Corporate
Gift Coach. 6 May 2009. The Corporate Snobs. 20 May 2009.

Lipow, Valerie. “How to Deal with Difficult Customers.” A Guide to Dealing
with Difficult Customers. 11 Sept. 2007. Monster. 13 Nov. 2008
.
Lumbardo, Russ. “Dealing with Difficult Customers.” Motivation and
Strategies for Entrepreneurs. No Date. Microfinance Empowers. 31
May 2009. .
Tehrani, Noreen. “Stress at Work.” Health, Safety, and Well Being. Dec.
2008. CIDP. 1 June 2009.
.

 

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