A customer’s happiness is the most important component of a business’ success. Without customers, there is no business. Therefore, making customer service an integral part of your business model is extremely important. Since it all starts with customer service, make sure that your staff is fully trained in how to deal with an angry customer should a problem occur. One bad customer experience is the quickest way to turn your customers over to your competitors, so being able to diffuse bad situations is the key to success. Having a great relationship with your customers will bring up the value of your brand and increase your sales. If your customer is angry, there are ways to please them, and even turn them into a customer for life. Here are several tips to keep in mind:
Actively Listen To Your Customer
Take into account what your customers are saying about your products. There are times when a customer is angry about something outside of the service. Perhaps they are just having a bad day, so remember it is only your business to be sure that you solve their anger surrounding the issue with your product. Listen to what their issue is with intent, let them completely explain everything. Be completely silent while they explain, you may nod or acknowledge that you are listening, but be sure that they are finished talking before you begin.
Apologize Immediately
No matter what the issue is, be sure to apologize right away for the mistake or miscommunication. It might be an immediate reaction to want to be defensive of your products, but you have to remember that this person is allowed to air their grievances since they purchased the product and supported your business.
Go Out Of Your Way To Make Them Happy
This is what could turn your angry customer into a loyal one. If you do it right, your customer will be excited to return to your store. Going out of your way also makes your customer feel special. Perhaps you work at a restaurant and a customer was unsatisfied with their meal; you could comp the food and include a gift card to get them to return. When they return, you can go out of your way to make the next experience much better. By going above and beyond, you’ve created a customer for life.
Create an Opportunity for Improvement
Every angry customer brings up a solid point about issues with your company or your product. Take every opportunity to learn about what you need to improve on in order to give yourself a leg up from the competition. Treat complaints as if they are a problem that you need to figure out with your brand. If one customer is unhappy and lets you know there is a problem, surely there have been customers with the same issue but never mentioned it; they respond by simply not buying your product again. With that in mind, customer complaints are invaluable resources for improvement. Your business will never stop growing as long as your customers’ needs are being met and your product continues to improve. If you feel that your business does have room to grow and you don’t want to sit around waiting for complaints to roll in, consider sending out a survey that your customers can opt-in or out of to gauge their satisfaction.
Build Up Your Reputation
By consistently meeting consumer needs and providing excellent customer service, you will quickly gain a reputation for being delightful to shop with. Brands like Nordstrom have built up their reputation with customers and they have thousands of reviews from customers gushing about their dependability. People are more likely to go with a dependable option than something that has a wishy-washy reputation. Just remember, every angry customer is a chance to win customers over and invite them back.
By using these four simple tips and responding to angry customers in a positive and approachable manner, your business will be flourishing in no time. Since your company is now focusing on customer relationships, you have the tools to thrive in any market.