by Ken Bidgood - © 2005
No matter how much you try to make every customer happy, you will at times have to deal with unhappy customers. Sometimes the unhappy customer has a valid complaint; other times they may have a complaint that is entirely out of your control as an entrepreneur. There are techniques which can leave an unhappy customer feeling less unhappy, and, perhaps even turn the unhappy customer into a loyal, repeat customer. Any startup business feels they must keep every customer possible, but that doesn't mean that the business owner should become a "doormat" to their new customers.
Before you even open up your door, take the time to set out in writing your policies on returns or refunds and be sure to place them in a place where customers can see them. If possible, try to include this same information on receipts or sales agreements. That way, there is no doubt about the terms of sale within your business.
Never lose your calm! Customers will get irate from time to time but it is your duty and that of your employees to handle that irritated customer in a calm and collected fashion. Show the customer that you care even when there is little or nothing that can be done to alleviate the situation. You will want to keep the energy level low key in an effort to diffuse a potentially volatile situation and prevent matters from spinning out of control. Do not be confrontational with the customer and use tact when speaking. Remember to stick to the facts and do not lose your dignity no matter what the customer may say. Your calm demeanor may very well rub off on your irritated customer.
You need not nod your head and agree with every word that comes out of a customer's mouth in order to empathize with them. You just would like the customer to know that you do care about the situation and are trying to learn all you can so that you can resolve the matter to their satisfaction if at all possible. "I am truly sorry for your inconvenience" will more times than not be able to calm someone down but they must believe you are sincere and not merely patronizing them.
You cannot fix what you don't know to be broken, so ask the customer enough questions to get at what precisely is bothering them. Did they receive the wrong item for the job they have? Did a competitor have the same item at a lower cost? When you find the cause of the unhappiness, only then can you really make progress towards solving the problem. Once you think that you understand what the problem is, repeat that back to the customer so that you can be sure that both of you are talking about the same problem.
If the problem has potential solutions that you can actually offer, relay these solutions to the customer in a calm manner. Maybe the product can simply be returned for a refund or even replaced. You may be able to upgrade to a better product and simply charge the difference in price. Any solutions that you are able to offer, do so in a very calm and rational manner. If, however, a potential solution is not possible because of a posted policy, then respectfully direct the customer's attention to that posted policy. A written policy is good to have because it may help avoid an instance where the customer turns from unhappy to irate. But, if the customer is still not happy, keep the tones low and your demeanor calm.
You are never going to be able to keep everyone happy all of the time. Certain customers are going to be unhappy despite all of your efforts to run a reputable business staffed with well coached employees. Any start-up company eventually encounters customers that are just impossible to please. Once you have tried every conceivable means of resolving the problem to the satisfaction of the customer without success, it may be time to concede that this person probably will never become one of those loyal repeat customers you dream about.
It is important not to let one bad experience get your spirits down. So long as you are running a reputable enterprise, you will be able to attract new customers that will more than compensate for the few who get away. It is never a good thing to lose a customer, but sometimes those losses help you to concentrate on growth, mentoring, and even support. Training new employees with the skills they need for conflict resolution is necessary for all start-up companies because sooner or later that unhappy customer will come walking through the door.
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