If you run or manage a business that directly helps customers, such as a store or a service, it is only natural that you're going to come across upset individuals from time to time. While you cannot make everyone's experiences perfect, there are ways you can help to mitigate the problems so you don't have angry customers that accuse you of doing nothing to help them. Even if you can simply demonstrate that you are trying to help, this can go a long way rather than doing nothing at all. Here is a closer look at ideas that can be useful in managing bad experiences your customers might have.
Offering A Refund
While you want to be careful that you aren't constantly refunding the same customer over and over again, depending on the case and what happened, sometimes providing a refund might be the best course of action. If the customer purchased a product that arrived damaged and now they no longer want it, or they didn't get something shipped to them by a certain time, providing a refund is perhaps the simplest way to placate an upset person. Doing so shows that you are listening to them, and not trying to shortchange them when it comes to what you offer.
Give Them A Replacement
While it's similar to offering a refund, providing customers with a replacement is helpful if they really had their heart set on something you offer, but experienced problems with the original. Maybe it was damaged or lost in transit to them, but they still want it. Perhaps you consider giving replacements to be a loss, but think about it this way: giving a replacement to someone who might come back again and purchase more from your company should be considered the cost of doing business. You might be out some money this one time, but if it results in a happy customer who returns again, it's worth it.
Listen To What They Have To Say
Paying attention and listening to what your customers have to say can be considered the ultimate form of customer service and even a useful way to improve your company. You can find out if there is some problem related to a vendor that you are using or other issues that you may not be aware of, but your customers are, and it is causing problems for your business. People want to feel heard when they are relaying problems to you, so really listening and respecting what they are going through can be important in helping your organization grow.
Follow Up With Customers
After a problem has occurred, and you've offered a solution that works for both you and your customers, make sure you are following up. Using software that helps you track problems is a form of incident management, and it can be useful in making sure you're leaving no stone unturned. Checking in after you've offered a solution to the problem helps ensure the case is closed and makes sure you've at least attempted to offer resolution if something happens. While you cannot control if a customer accepts that resolution or not, at least you've provided outreach before attempting to move on.
Anyone who owns their own business or helps to manage a company knows that it is only a matter of time before they run into an angry customer. Knowing how to work with someone who is upset can go a long way in ensuring success for your company. Consider offering refunds or replacements when there is a problem with your product or service since this can help mitigate the issue. Listen to what unhappy customers have to say. Doing so might provide you with clues about how your company can improve. Finally, follow up with everyone who has had an issue, so you can ensure they've been taken care of. These little steps can help turn angry customers into happy ones.
