"I recognized that my client had good intentions and wanted what was best for his company. When we interacted, I always took his feedback with a grain of salt knowing that. Even though my client was demanding, my job was to support him and comply with our agreed upon expectations. I never took anything personally and stayed professional, even when my client acted harshly. Throughout my career, I feel that I've really built this alligator-like skin where I can remain the person that acts calmly and respectfully with difficult clients."

"I worked in retail for years in high school and college. I have a lot of experience dealing with difficult customers. I would leverage those same skills here at Boeing. I would first use reflective listening techniques, and I would seek to understand the nature of their issue or frustration. In the event I could resolve the problem myself, I would do whatever was necessary and appropriate to resolve the problem. If their issue fell outside of my domain or experience level, I would seek guidance from a mentor or superior on how best to proceed.

I think the most important thing is to let clients know they are appreciated and that you care about their needs. I would try to stay involved in some way until a resolution was resolved, and would check in going forward as appropriate for my role."

"I have dealt with several difficult clients over the years. In my experience, the best strategy is to show end-to-end ownership and accountability. It is important to set clear expectations, stick to them, and then take ownership for any delays or failures accordingly."

"The first step I take when dealing with a difficult client is to try to find the root of the issue. Sometimes there is a mismatch in expectations, sometimes they are unclear about the role they play on a project, sometimes they are experiencing pressure from their management that is out of my control. Depending on the nature of the issue, I develop a strategy to alleviate the issue.

For example, one of my current clients would outline her vision for very specific solutions to her business problems. Essentially, she would do her own analysis and design work. However, her solutions would not always solve the issue in the most efficient way possible. Likewise, her solutions did not take into account technical or budgetary constraints. She would then become frustrated when I would return with mock ups and functional requirements that were different than her vision.

I scheduled a meeting with her to explain how a business analyst typically partners with a client to understand the business requirements and how those requirements are then translated into a functional and technical design. She was very interested in IT and wanted to stay involved, so we worked out a plan to partner closely while allowing me to guide the piece of the process I was responsible for. I really enjoy working with her now, and we have partnered to deliver several excellent solutions."

"One of my specialties as a project manager is project rescue. I am often asked to step in to help get at-risk projects back on track. I was told that the client for my most recent project was exceptionally difficult and demanding. The first step I took was to work with my internal team to gather background information. They expressed their concerns that the client had unrealistic expectations and she frequently contacted the engineers directly instead of following the proper protocol.

I then scheduled a meeting with the client. She was indeed difficult and very upset that the project was tracking behind schedule. However, I let her know I was there to support her and do all that I could to make the project a success. I asked for her thoughts on what had gone wrong, and what improvements needed to be made. She indicated that the analyst on the team was not helpful and that the previous project manager made frequent excuses for missed deadlines.

I then developed a strategy to move forward that addressed her feedback while also honoring the background my team provided. I worked with my team to address a resource performance issue and reset expectations for the responsibilities of the analyst role. I then worked with the client to create realistic improvement expectations and set up a proper communication plan going forward. She understood that contacting the engineers directly kept them from focusing properly and she agreed to work with the analyst going forward. I agreed to attend those meetings as well to ensure that the quality standard expected for the project was delivered as promised.

I would follow a similar approach here at Boeing. I would gather the relevant background information, hear the client's concerns, and then develop an action plan to move things forward. I would also follow-up regularly and observe to ensure that the working agreements were followed."

"I have worked with difficult clients in the past. I believe in a high standard of customer service, but clients are also required to follow operating agreements that ensure the success of a product. For example, I recently worked with a client that was difficult to contact, and there were significant delays in response time to my questions. We follow an agile process, so a delay of a day or two can put an entire iteration at risk of not being complete.

I contacted the client to let them know the delivery of his features would be at risk if we did not have a response. He still did not answer, so I escalated the issue to our program manager. She worked with the client's management to discuss the impact of the delays and help get things back on track. I typically do not like to escalate, but the project was at risk and letting someone know was the right call.

I would follow a similar approach here at Boeing. I would be respectful and responsive to the needs of my client, but I would seek support from my team leaders who specialize in client management if my ability to deliver on time or on budget was at risk."

You want to show the interviewer that you work well with every person, even though you recognize there are some folks out there who are quite difficult to please. If possible, share an example from your past that highlights this skill. Even better, offer an example that is directly applicable to the role you're interviewing for. If neither of these options applies, walk your interviewer through how you plan to approach difficult client situations.

Begin your response by offering some context about the situation and what you did to make the client happy. Remember, there's no need to be negative or share any negative interactions you had with the client. Focus on how you responded graciously and courteously to client complaints. Last, remember that Boeing values their stakeholders' trust and preference and does this through a competent and respectful approach with everyone.

Struggling to find an approach that works for you? Take a look at our expert examples. Also, a href"https://www.mockquestions.com/articles//HowtoAnswerQuestionsAboutWorkplaceConflict/"this article/a offers a deep dive on the dos and don'ts of answering workplace conflict interview questions.