Helping Customers Move From Dissatisfied to Loyal

Helping Customers Move From Dissatisfied to Loyal

Try as you might to satisfy all your customers, it’s inevitable that at some point someone is going to be dissatisfied with your products or services. Lest you be under the misassumption that unhappy customers are no big deal, here are some numbers to contemplate: According to these statistics:

• over 30% of customers leave a favored brand after their first bad experience
• 50% of customers leave that brand after repeated bad experiences
• 1 dissatisfied customer will tell 9-15 people about their negative experience with a brand; and 13% will tell over 20 people (which is powerful considering that over 75% of buying decisions are based upon reviews)

To ameliorate a negative customer situation, it’s prudent to have a response already thought through so you can act decisively and - hopefully - won’t lose business over the incident.

Dealing with dissatisfied patrons is honestly just an extension of your customer care philosophy. You want to be receptive, responsive, helpful and ultimately solve a problem they’re experiencing. Here are some things to keep in mind for serving those who may find fault with some offering of your business.

Set the expectation with the customer that you are there to resolve the issue. An upset and agitated customer will appreciate feeling like their issue is being taken seriously. Upon meeting the customer, introduce yourself and your role, and address them by name, assuring them you see them as a person and not a problem. Apologize for the inconvenience sincerely and assure them it is your goal they get satisfaction.

Listen calmly with an open, curious mind. When you’re first hearing of the issue, lean in and listen intently to what the customer is really saying. They may be emotional or frustrated; in an agitated state, they are not at their best so rise to the occasion and keep your cool. If they are verbally abusive, try your best to diffuse their anger so the interaction can be as constructive as possible. Acknowledge and validate their emotions, assuring them that you want to get to the bottom of things. Ask basic questions so you can get to the root of the problem more easily, then branch out your queries to find out where things might have gone awry. Find out what the customer expected and how they did not ultimately get what they anticipated.

When you do respond, repeat the problem back to the customer to ensure you understand what they are saying. Use their own words so they will hear that you really comprehend the issue’s effect on them. Give them the opportunity to provide additional clarification or details that were left out of the initial interaction. Ask questions if you’re not crystal clear on what’s wrong and what solution - if any - they would like to see.

Utilize empowering terminology that demonstrates you are taking their concerns seriously. Rather than using negatives like, "It won’t," or "We can’t," adopt a positive attitude with phrases like, "I’ll check on that," or "We’ll take a look at that." These are open-ended phrases that allow the customer to feel like you’re working on their behalf rather than reading from a playbook.

Take responsibility for the issue and let them know how you plan to remedy it. This is an important step to reestablishing trust which may have been damaged when the customer became dissatisfied. Thank them for bringing the issue to your attention so it can be avoided in the future. Tell them what can be done to combat their dissatisfaction and help regain their loyalty in your brand. In fact, proposing a solution that far exceeds the customer’s expectations can be an opportunity to turn the formerly dissatisfied party into an ambassador by convincing them of your integrity and commitment to positive customer relations.

Consider the remedy you propose carefully. Remedies are as personalized as potential dissatisfied customers. Some will like swag or a free upgrade or extended plan - yet if they’re burned on your brand, these will ring hollow. In cases where this is true, a refund or something thoughtful and appropriate may be what it takes to tip the scales back in your favor.

The way you handle customer service is critical; bear in mind that 55% of customers would pay extra to guarantee better service - so it’s extremely important to curate your client journey with care from the outset. Certainly there will be instances when, no matter what you offer, the dissatisfied customer will leave you for another business. While that’s unfortunate, if you’ve done all you could along the way to heed and respond to incidents when customers were unhappy with a well-considered approach, you’ve done all you could to retain them.

How do you handle your dissatisfied customers?