There are few aspects that have more impact on the reputation of a brand than the way it responds to complaints and unhappy customers. Customer service has always been an important part of developing brand loyalty. In fact, it was the core of the business model that enabled companies to prosper. And now that the Internet and social media have given individuals their own platform to publish information about their daily lives. It is becoming even more crucial for companies to provide great customer service.
It’s easier than ever for customers to publicly share their experiences, and the way you respond to unhappy customers will determine what they say about you afterward. Each dissatisfied contact has the potential for becoming your company’s best advertisement truly listening to your unhappy customers you can generate the most pleasant outcome possible. Better yet, you can turn an experience with an unhappy customer into an opportunity to drive profitable change and growth for your business.
Now, you know that every complaint is your opportunity to lessen future negative publicity and transform an unhappy customer into a devoted and loyal fan who will spread the word about your superior service. So the next time you have an unhappy customer on your hands, you can smile and say, “Thank you for reaching out,” and mean it.
Potential clients will not only get the chance to have a closer look into your products and services but also have a fun time watching your awesome story unfold. Connect with us now and we rest assured that in our hands, you will be infinite.
1. Make Your Customer Feel Heard
If you respond to an unhappy customer by trying to get a solution right away, it may lead to disaster and make the customer even more outraged. Being unsatisfied or frustrated with a company or product puts the customer in a very emotional state. So the first thing you should try to do is get them to relax.
Most times, an unhappy customer just cares more about just feeling like they’ve been heard. But if you rush to a conclusion right away. The customer won’t feel like you’ve taken the time to really hear their concern.
We all like to feel that we are special so even if the customer’s complaint is normal, take the time to make them feel respected. You can do this by not only acknowledging the facts of the matter but also how it made them feel. No one will ever be more honest with you than an unhappy customer. It also gives you the opportunity to gain valuable insight into whether any internal processes need to be fixed when dealing with customers so make sure to take detailed notes.
2. Do All That You Can To Delight Your Unhappy Customer
Going out of your way to cater to the needs of the customer makes them feel special, respected, and in control. If possible, try to give the customer more than they’ve asked for. By delivering even the smallest quantity above their expectations. You can make them feel like they are your most valued customer. You can’t undo the problem sometimes, but you can always find a way to make it up to the consumer. The degree to which you do so will go a long way towards turning your unhappy customer into your most vocal advocate.
Converting unhappy customers into valued customers will dramatically impact your repeat business. Everyone knows problems happen, products sometimes break and service providers occasionally fail. It’s how you make up for the inconvenience that makes the difference. You distinguish yourself from your competition by the way you make things right. Customers will come back to your brand over and over again when they know you’ll address any problem that arises.
3. Damage Control – Protect Your Brand From Negative Mentions
In today’s instant-access, multimedia environment, one unhappy client can reach literally thousands of people. Sending their complaints about your company viral. Sadly, negative comments seem to be more contagious than positive ones. You’ve probably seen video clips where customer service personnel aggravated situations by their rudeness; by not listening and not resolving the complaint. There used to be a standard formula that said when someone experienced poor customer service they would tell ten of their friends. That was before the Internet, smartphones, and social media.
The louder the conversation gets, the more the negative sentiment toward your brand will spread to other people in your target market. By providing good customer service and making customers feel heard you can minimize your negative publicity. That’s why it is critical that you use your interactions with unhappy customers as an opportunity to turn them around. Unresolved complaints tend to escalate. They get posted to social media pages and more and more unhappy customers join the conversation.
4. Build A Positive Reputation
When you delight your customers by resolving their issues and then exceeding their expectations your customers will be motivated and excited to share the story. On the flip side, an unhappy customer that’s transformed into a delighted one becomes even more loyal than a satisfied customer. In other words. We are even more satisfied when we’ve had a problem and it’s been satisfactorily handled than if we never had the problem, to begin with. Better still, when a disgruntled client receives stellar customer service they are more likely to tell their friends, in part, because it casts them in such a positive light.
Again, everyone is happy to spread the word about how special and important they are that a company went out of its way to help them. Customers will post their positive experiences to social media which your company can then re-post. There’s nothing like unsolicited, positive, authentic customer testimonials to improve your brand image. Remember, every initially combative or irate customer contact gives you an opportunity to forge a lasting positive relationship.
However, for an online business, salvaging its prominence can be a little difficult, especially when even a few negative reviews can highly affect a business. Under such circumstances, you can hire a marketing company that provides solutions like Reputation management Google and for other online platforms to keep your business running and profitable.
5. Seize The Opportunity For Improvement
Most customers will accept the occasional human or system error. How your company responds to those errors is what distinguishes you from your competitors. By attending to each individual complaint. You can nip potential problems in the bud. Or, if there is a more systemic problem in play, you can address it before it gets any worse.
Common customer issues can reveal where your business needs work, and give you direction so that you can continually build a better product or service. By incorporating complaints as feedback for improving your business. You will help even more customers. Unhappy customers are an invaluable resource for providing honest information about your business. Information you need if you want to improve and stand out from your competition.
