An Angry Customer Tells How Many?

Business owners build businesses based on providing valued and personalized customer service. If you have been in business very long, you know that, despite your best intentions, a bad situation  with a customer can sometimes occur. When that happens, your employees can handle the situation in ways that actually help build customer loyalty. Here's how: 1. Don’t stonewall. Tell your customer exactly what happened and why. If you believe that the less said, the better, you're wrong. Customers have a keen sensitivity for being brushed off or mishandled. They won't respond to whitewashing a situation or stonewalling, but they will respond to explanations and details that are provided as soon as you have them. If you don't yet know what's going to happen, let them know. Tell your customers what you're doing to find out, and then alert them to  what's happening just as quickly as you find out.  Personalize the situation and help keep the lines of communication open. This practice is contrary to what many businesses do, and it gives your business a distinct advantage. 2. Don't assume that details of what is going on are too small or not worthy to share. Sharing details helps customers feel a connection. They feel held by you rather than dropped. Even if you are busy, take the time to share the information with them. 3. Assure your customers that you're working actively on preventing this situation from happening again, either to them or to other customers. Make sure they understand that what happened isn't acceptable to you. This is an opportunity to prove how much you attend to your customers and how often you are willing to change your systems to prevent problems from occurring. 4. Most of all, apologize. Make sure anyone in your business who is involved with that customer apologizes. In situations that cause customers discomfort, you cannot apologize too much.   In today’s world of customer reviews and social media, it is easy for customers to share their experience, both positive and negative.  Don’t forget, great service builds loyalty. Great service, even when there is a bad situation, builds even more customer loyalty.  Share your ideas with how to increase customer satisfaction on our blog.  Also, for more tips on how to improve customer service check out Tell 3000.