Every business owner and team member has experienced the challenges of the “unhappy” customer. With all of the variables that can lead to a customer being upset, this can become a difficult area to manage.. Why is it so hard? Because there is no single solution as to how to “fix” a broken customer relationship. Every situation — and every customer — is different. Here are four steps to a achieving a successful resolution:
1. Listen
Ask the question – “What happened?” You may know – or think you know – exactly what went wrong. Yet it’s also important to ask the customer how they see the problem. The unhappy customer wants to be heard. When you listen to the customer, they will see you as a problem solver and the negative impact will be lessened.
2. Assess
Once you learn why your customer is unhappy, it’s time to assess who, or what, is to blame for the problem. If a miscommunication occurred, you’ll want to agree and admit to the fact that you and your team could have done a better job, and WILL make it right.
3. Offer A Solution
Once you’ve made it clear that you understand why the customer is unhappy, offer a solution to make things right. The customer may not respond, however, this approach will be far more likely to win the customer.
4. Give Your Team Power To Solve
If a customer is unhappy, rather than place your employee in an awkward position, train your employees in advance and allow them to use common sense to propose a solution right there on the spot.
There is one thing that we can all agree on, it’s smarter to fix the problem immediately rather than face the hardships trying to win the customer down the road. At R2R Marketing we have your best interest in mind! We are here to provide you real solutions that will bring you real results.
