Oftentimes, the best customers are also the most vocal. They'll go online and write bad reviews of your business if they're unhappy with something. On the flip side, they'll go online and write good reviews if they're happy with their experience. Therefore, it's important to know how to deal with dissatisfied customers: after all, they can be your biggest asset or worst nightmare!
I have had personal experience with dealing with dissatisfied customers. I can't begin to explain how heart wrenching it is for me when I get a complaint about my floral arrangements, because I have put a lot of work and passion into it, but I get it, not everyone will be happy. What I am about to share with you, are ways that I have learnt to deal with dissatisfied customers, remain motivated, and improve my skillsets.
It is important to understand why your customers are unhappy.
Understanding why your customers are unhappy will help you to improve the situation. Don't just listen to them and then apologize, though; it's more important to make sure that they feel heard and understood than just saying "I'm sorry." If a customer has a legitimate complaint, find out what can be done to fix it--and then do that!
It's also important not to make promises you can't keep or blame others for something that was ultimately your responsibility. This includes blaming your staff if they did something wrong (or even if they didn't), claiming that there was nothing else you could have done in order to satisfy the customer's needs, etcetera.
Find out what the customer wants and give it to them.
When a customer is unhappy with your product of service, it's important to find out what they want and give it to them. This can be done by asking the customer what they want, or if that fails, asking them what they would be willing to accept in exchange for their patronage. If neither approach works out for you and your company, offer an apology and refund their money--it's the least we can do!
If you can't fix the problem immediately on the spot, ask the customer if they can come back at a later date so you can fix it then.
If your customer is not satisfied with your solution, offer to make it right. If they are still unhappy, refund their money.
Don't blame your staff - they're probably already feeling bad enough.
Don't blame your staff - they're probably already feeling bad enough.
When a customer is upset, it's natural to want to defend yourself and your business. But no matter how much you explain why the mistake was made or how it could have been avoided, an unhappy customer simply won't believe you. Instead of making excuses for yourself or your product/service, just apologize and make it right with your customer as soon as possible.
Don't make excuses for yourself or your product/service; just apologize and make it right with your customer as soon as possible.
Don't make excuses for yourself or your product/service; just apologize and make it right with your customer as soon as possible.
A good resolution to this situation is to apologize, make amends, and move on. You can't change the past, but you can learn from it so that it doesn't happen again.
Stand behind your product/service wholeheartedly even if it comes at a financial loss to you.
When a customer is unhappy, you don't have to apologize for your product or service. You can and should apologize for their experience with it--but only if you can do something about it.
It's important not to make excuses or blame others. Instead, focus on fixing the problem as quickly as possible so that everyone will be happy in the end (or at least less angry).
Don't make excuses, just apologize, make amends, and move on!
-
Don't make excuses, just apologize, make amends and move on!
-
Don't beat yourself up over it. You did your best and that's all anyone can ask of you.
-
If you do make an excuse (because we all do), remember that there is no such thing as "sorry my product broke" or "sorry I didn't deliver what I promised". All that matters is how you handle the situation after the fact and whether or not it was resolved in a way that makes sense for both parties involved.
Conclusion
The bottom line is that customer satisfaction is an important part of running a successful business. If you are able to make your customers happy, they will come back and buy from you again in the future. The key thing here is that it doesn't matter how much money or time it costs, if there's something wrong with their order or service experience then it needs to be fixed immediately!
