When feedback from a client comes your way – and I mean the negative kind, followed by a sad and/or mad face- it’s your job to turn that frown upside down. The customer is always right, and a happy customer is a repeat customer, so it is up to you to make the client fall back in love with your business.
Customers make your business what it is, and some business owners do not pay attention to them or take them for granted. If you do not value or respect them, you cannot expect high yield or a flurry of customers.
It pays off to treat customers as you would like to be treated, especially when faced with unhelpful staff or a product that doesn’t do what it says on the package.
After all, retaining existing customers is always easier than finding new ones, so place priority and value on those who have already paid you money to deliver a high standard of service or quality product.
Customer experience is everything; a bad experience is enough to put anyone off and it’s never a good feeling when you learn of an unhappy customer. There’ll always be people who complain for the sake of complaining and people who are unreasonable and never satisfied. But for most of the time, taking the right steps to solve problems can renew and save relationships, and both parties will come out on top of it at the end.
Angry or unhappy customers can be difficult and challenging, but it’s also a good way to improve your customer skills, problem-solving, and in a broader sense, help your business grow too.
You will learn how to improve areas of your business, how to come out with a more positive and valued relationship with your client, and how to turn negative feedback into constructive criticism.
Take a look at the system in which your team tackles complaints and ask yourself if it can be improved. Despite the saying ‘you can’t please everyone’, you can certainly try and here are some top tips we’ve gathered to help yourself by helping your clients.
How to deal with an unhappy client
Listen
No matter what the issue is or how the client is behaving [they may be shouting down the phone or you’re watching them turn from red to blue right in front of you] – listen attentively. Let them vent for however long they need to and then you can offer solutions or options which meet their needs once they’ve got it all off their chest.
It’s important to note here that you need to ensure that you respond and not react to other people’s behaviour; don’t give them more reason to be upset. You don’t want to say something you’ll regret later and it shows that you can manage an unsatisfied customer with diligence, maturity and a high standard of professionalism. Pay attention to what your customer is saying and find out what they want.
Thank them and apologise
First and foremost, thank the client for raising the issue with you. It may help to dissolve any tension and help to keep the client calm. Apologise with sincerity and be respectful – they will pick it up if you’re not. It can be difficult for anyone to stay mad at someone when you apologise and show a little empathy. Show that you understand how they feel and use phrases which are positive and helpful.
Ask questions
Some customers can be vague about why they are complaining. It’s vital that you both understand what needs to be addressed in order to move the situation forward. Ask questions to ensure you are both on the same page.
Reiterate
Once you have a good idea about what the problem is and what the customer is asking for, repeat it back to them. This way, misunderstanding is reduced and both parties are in accordance from the beginning.
Back to the drawing board
Go the extra mile to help your customer reach their needs. Show that you are actively working to make them happy. Keep your promise and exceed expectations; they’ll appreciate your hard work to make amends.
Follow up
Give customers a reason to come back by showing that you value them as a client and not just a sale. It’s simply good customer service to give a courtesy call to your client once you have solved their problem. Find out if they are happy with the amendments and ask for general feedback. Use this information effectively in your business. When the customer is smiling with fulfilment, you will be too.
Know when to let go
You will inevitably face clients who are unreasonable and hard to please, so it’s important to know when it’s a good time to let them go, but that it wasn’t without a fight. When the client remains unsatisfied despite all of your best efforts to find a solution, it may be best to end the relationship professionally. Be pleasant and recommend them to another company.
Try not to burn bridges as this could damage your reputation and because word of mouth goes a long way (a single incident reaching as many as 10 people), you may lose more clients. But if you show that you have done all that you can to try and resolve the issue, the client may recommend you to someone else in the future. Let the customer remember you in a good way and you may find value in it one day.
Learn from the situation
Life is a learning curve – we’ve all screwed up at some point, but we’re all human. Try not to be bitter about the outcome and instead reflect on the situation. Analyse and learn from it.
Ask yourself what could have been done to prevent the complaint in the first instance. How can you do things differently in the future? This way you have a better idea of how to respond to unhappy clients and help you to make better decisions in your business.
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