Bad customer service is a simple fact of life. Products fail. Services are sometimes less than stellar. Customer service reps can certainly have bad days, just like the rest of us. Because of these circumstances, I’m sure you’ve had a customer service experience that didn’t go so well and left you feeling like nobody cares. And it probably happens more often than not. But have you ever had a bad customer interaction turn into a winning situation?
Real World Story: One of my clients recently experienced the following scenario:
“It was a leisurely Sunday when my two friends and I had a craving for iced tea. We found a cute little café that offered two ice 
tea menu options. After the teas arrived, we tasted them. All of them tasted awful! We called the waitress over and explained the problem. She immediately offered the option of hot tea. (But what are the odds that awful cold tea will be any better when hot?!) When we said, “No thanks,” she then asked, “Do you want your money back?” We answered, “Yes.” The waitress offered no apology, which would have gone a very long way into alleviating the situation. Although she did offer another beverage, she did not offer other simple options like a coupon or any other future visit incentive—nothing. She appeared not to care if we never returned. And guess what? We have no intention of returning.”
Hmmmmm, this was certainly a missed opportunity to turn around customer dissatisfaction into customer loyalty.
Strategies that Turn it Around:
- When a customer reports a problem, immediately apologize—and be sincere. Nothing makes a situation worse than an obviously fake apology.
- Quickly offer solutions or options. This strategy should be part of your company’s standard customer satisfaction guarantee. If you don’t have the authority to offer alternate options or solutions, immediately involve a manager who has such authority.
- Once you win back your customer, DO SOMETHING EXTRA – give the customer a complimentary offering like a pastry, an appetizer, an after dinner drink or a free or hefty-discount coupon for a future visit. If done correctly, the something extra will be what the customer remembers and not the initial problem.
- Act like you truly care if the customer is satisfied or not. If you don’t care, perhaps you need a new job that doesn’t involve an element of customer service. Good luck with that!
Remember: Customers want you to care about their problems as much as they do. If you act quickly and efficiently, you will turn angry complainants into loyal customers. Good result, huh?
What do YOU do to show you care about your customers? Please share in the comments section below.