Fix their problems, and they will come – Back

Every business has them. Yet very few take advantage of them. I’m talking about your unhappy, unsatisfied, confused, or buyer’s remorse filled customers. Aside from the handful of loyal cheerleaders you have, this is the group of people most likely to talk about you. Even though they may have had a negative initial experience, what they will say about you depends on how you address their concerns. Here a few things you can do to help turn a disappointing initial experience into some positive word of mouth:

• Do not avoid them. If a customer has an issue, see to them promptly. The longer you wait the smaller the chance you have of converting the upset customer into an advocate.
• Listen to them. Listen to everything they have to say before you respond. Listen closely. Fully understand their concerns. What they want most from you at this point is your undivided attention
• Apologize. A simple apology goes a long way. Even if your customer is totally in the wrong, apologize for their inconvenience. An apology will soften the rest of the conversation making it easier to negotiate a resolution.
• Ask them what you can do to make them happy. Now the ball is in their court. By giving them the option to choose a suitable outcome you pinpoint the exact action that will at least bring you back to even, and possibly more.
• Get as close as you can to helping them in the way they asked. You won’t always be able to do exactly what they want. But if you are able to come to a close compromise, 9 out of 10 times the customer will leave satisfied.
• Ask them what it would take to earn their business back. This is important. This question is a quick and easy measurement of how satisfied your customer is with the outcome. It also gives you another chance to turn an unhappy customer into a content customer or content customer into a satisfied customer.

It’s impossible to make everyone happy. But that doesn’t mean you can’t try your best to do so. Righting your customer’s wrongs can go a long way in creating new customer advocates and controlling negative word of mouth. Plus it’s just good business practice. So before you get more fliers printed or start that next direct mail campaign, set some money aside from your marketing budget to take care of these customers. You are bound to see great returns on your investment.

photo credit: batega