3 Keys for Keeping a Dissatisfied Customer

If you own your own business, getting customer complaints is not so much a matter of “if,” as it is of “when.” The reality is that when you’re trying to take care of your customers, remember that one size fits one. Every customer is going to have a unique expectation of what he or she gets from you. Your job is to do your best to make sure that you live up to those expectations. But realistically, sooner or later, somebody is going to be dissatisfied. 

So, what do you do when that happens? Here’s a three-pronged approach that is sure to help make the situation better. First of all, start with intentional listening. Pay great attention to exactly what is bothering your customer. It goes without saying that you do not want to interrupt the customer when he or she is talking with you. However, it is appropriate to ask for clarification and more details when there is a pause. For example, “Can you tell me when this incident happened?” or, “Do you happen to remember the name of the employee you spoke with about this?” By digging a little deeper, it will make it easier for you to piece together what went wrong.

Next, be sure to approach your customer with sincerity. For the past six years, I worked very closely with John Ellis of Create Socially. Not only has he been my customer, I’ve also been his. In fact, he even bought my business. One of the qualities I like best about John is that if there is a problem, he wants to know about it and he wants to fix it. He doesn’t look for blame, he looks for solutions. Having someone who genuinely wants to understand what happened so that he can solve the problem makes me want to do business with him because I feel that I’m being taken seriously. 

Finally, you must solve the problem. Problem-solving is not something you develop after a problem occurs. It should be a mindset that you cultivate the day you decide to go into business. This is a two-part process. First you solve the immediate problem that the customer is experiencing. Once you have done this to the customer’s satisfaction, go back and identify the reason that the problem occurred in the first place. If you can eliminate the possibility of this problem reoccurring, you will be turning your customer service and problem-solving skills into a proactive marketing plan for your business.

Although each customer service issue will be as unique as each customer, using this three-step formula will make it substantially easier for you to find common ground and keep a dissatisfied customer from leaving.

“Customer service is the new marketing.” – Derek Sivers

Let me hear from you.

(This excerpt is taken from the seminar entitled Legendary Customer Services IV: Soothing the Savage Customer) I encourage you to click here to register for the Legendary Customer Services IV: Soothing the Savage Customer live Summer Bash seminar on Thursday, August 8, 2024, at Lancaster Bible College in Lancaster, PA from 9:00 AM to 12:00 Noon Eastern Standard Time.  This seminar is also available for live streaming.

This seminar may also be accessed on demand before and after the event, at Romeo Network Online Learning. Click here for instant access!