Support

10 Types of Customers and How to Handle Them [Best Practices]

11 min read
Jun 6, 2023
  • Post on Twitter
  • Share on Facebook
  • Post on LinkedIn
  • Post on Reddit
  • Copy link to clipboard
    Link copied to clipboard

When working in customer service, you will be dealing with many different situations and with various types of customers who want to resolve their problems. You have to help them. They could take their business elsewhere if you leave them without a solution long enough. 

Read on to see the types of customers you can expect to meet when handling sales and support cases and how you can deliver top-notch customer service to them.  

Chat with customers on your website

Discover and meet your visitors' needs. Enjoy loyal customers coming back to you.

Trusted by 36,000+ companies

Free 14-day trial

What is the best way to identify customer types for your business?

The first division is clear: you are dealing with people you want to become your customers (prospects) and already-existing clients who you want to keep happy and loyal.

You can segment your customers into groups based on their position in the sales funnel. You go from someone who is just looking and not really thinking about making a purchase yet to a lifelong brand ambassador who will always come back for more.

Depending on how far they are in your sales funnel, you will need to address their needs and questions differently.

You should also consider the reason why somebody is buying from you. This will also change the conversation and help move a potential customer further down the funnel into a loyal follower.

Different customer types before the purchase 

1. Potential customers

Let’s call this customer Potential Pat, the type of customer who is at the very beginning of your sales funnel - the awareness stage. Technically, they aren’t your customer yet. However, you better give them the complete treatment to change that quickly.

A potential customer is a lead that needs nurturing and warming up before making a purchase decision. They already showed interest in your business by filling out a contact form, signing up for a newsletter, or asking a question via live chat. Don't have one? No worries, you can test LiveChat for free.

That show of interest is what separates Potential Pat from other website visitors. You can use that interest to convert them into a new customer. It’s much more effective than carpet bombing every website visitor with offers.

A potential customer may have already researched the market or wants to switch from your competitors. 

How to approach potential customers

2. New customers 

Say hi to the fresh customer who just bought something from you. New Nic is still learning the ropes of using your product, so you need to do everything you can to make that adoption period smooth.

Even though you have already made a sale, you can’t leave New Nic without support. If they don't receive it, they may not discover the full potential of your product. The time you save by not helping New Nic will be less valuable than the future business they may bring.

Companies with great customer experience report higher referral rates and customer satisfaction. This means higher customer loyalty and retention. 

Connect with customers

LiveChat is a complete customer service platform that delights your customers and fuels your sales.

Trusted by 36,000+ companies

Free 14-day trial

How to approach new customers

Guide new customers to success by:

3.  Impulsive customers

This type of customer usually makes a buying decision instantly, provided that the conditions are right.

You see, this is Impulsive Iggy. They don’t need much convincing to purchase, so you don’t have to warm the lead-up too much with a value proposition.

What an impulsive customer wants is to make a clear and easy purchase. The fewer steps involved, the higher the chance they will buy from you.

How to approach impulsive customers 

4. Discount customers 

Discount Drew is the type of customer who sees value in your product but won’t buy it at full price. Upselling your product to Discount Drew is nearly impossible.

This type of customer is usually looking for extra information on the exact conditions of the deal or discount you offer. They are bargain hunters. Once the deal runs out, keeping Discount Drew as a customer is hard. Discount Drew will usually leave once the discount you are offering stops applying. 

To increase your chances of keeping Discount Drew as a customer, you need to show them that they are not only getting a product at a discount but also exceptional customer service.

How to approach discount customers

different types of customers

5. Loyal customers 

This type of customer keeps coming back for more. Apart from significantly impacting your revenue, Loyal Logan will also be your brand’s ambassador.

Long-lasting customers like Loyal Logan help you grow through word of mouth. They will recommend your business to friends and family, sending a healthy stream of new customers your way.

You should leverage their experience and learn what makes Loyal Logan satisfied with your business. When you have the chance, ask Loyal Logan which aspect of your product or business they like the most. Take note and try to replicate that experience so that other loyal customers also become your brand ambassadors.

How to approach loyal customers

Different customer types in support situations 

6. Angry customers 

Angry Andy is one of the most demanding customers you have to deal with when working in customer service.

Most of the time, angry, unhappy customer reactions are exaggerated. However, you still need to do your best to solve their case quickly, no matter how overblown it may be.

When dealing with Angry Andy, make sure you clearly state what they need to get out of the situation. You have a limited window of opportunity as they will only get angrier.

How to approach angry customers

Learn more about handling customer complaints and dealing with angry customers. 

7. Confused visitors

Confused Carter most likely reached your website by mistake. If you want to deal with him smoothly, you must clearly explain who you are and what your company does.

If you use LiveChat for customer service, a pre-made answer would be perfect here — a short explanation stating that a confused customer must be mistaking your business for another company. In most cases, simply posting such a response will allow you to handle the problem.

It’s not mandatory, but pointing Confused Carter in the right direction can earn you extra points. You never know when they will return to your website and become a new customer.

How to deal with confused visitors

8. International customers 

Companies that do business internationally will often come across an International Indigo.

International customers can turn even the simplest problems into giant puzzles because of the limits of communication. The name of the game here is the language barrier. This type of customer might use a broken version of your language or might not use your language at all.

To help International Indigo quickly, you need to offer the most straightforward explanation possible. Use short, simple sentences. Make sure you explain the trickier concepts with basic terms. And above all: don’t rush. Double-check if they understand what you mean before moving on.

If that fails, you can return to a translation service like Google Translate. Decipher what International Indigo is saying and translate your responses into their language. It’s not a perfect solution, and there will be minor misunderstandings along the way. However, a partial answer is still better than no answer.

How to deal with international customers

Connect with customers

LiveChat is a complete customer service platform that delights your customers and fuels your sales.

Trusted by 36,000+ companies

Free 14-day trial

9. Mistaken customers

Another difficult situation you can face when supporting customers is meeting someone who likes to think they know more than you. Mistaken Mason is a customer who insists they know everything, even if they are wrong.

Mistaken Mason usually knows a fair bit. However, when they make a mistake, they won’t admit it. Convincing them that something works differently than they think can be a challenge.

When dealing with mistaken customers, you need to provide proof - not to boast that you know more but to solve the problem more efficiently. Do it gently. Don’t leave any room for misunderstanding. Don’t make it look like you want to beat them in an argument.

You can politely suggest and imply that they will get better results if they try to solve the problem differently.

How to approach mistaken customers

10. Praising customers  

This is the cherry on top when you work in customer support. Praising Parker will always be a welcome sight after a long day.

This customer type will simply drop by to say that they appreciate the help they got earlier. Usually, you helped them resolve a big problem, and they want to express their gratitude.

With some work and a couple of situations where Praising Parker received good support, you can turn them into a Loyal Logan.

Similar to loyal customers, you can ask the praising customers for spreading love on social media. Some extra word-of-mouth recommendations won’t hurt!

How to approach praising customers

Recognize the types of customers and enjoy customer success

There’s no single right way to address a customer’s needs. All kinds of users will visit your website, and each is unique and requires a different approach. 

Customer experience might be a deciding factor when it comes to purchasing. But the teams with the best results are the customer service teams that change their approach for different cases.

Get a glimpse into the future of business communication with digital natives.

Get the FREE report