Jeff
Keller

How To Turn An Angry Customer Into A Loyal Supporter

Many salespeople dread an encounter with an angry customer. "Who needs the hassle." Jeff knows better. A customer who never complains is more likely to drift away than one who makes a little noise, but an angry customer can become your best ally. Learn from the master of positive attitude How To Turn An Angry Customer Into A Loyal Supporter.

If you've been in business long enough, you've probably had at least one occasion where a customer was extremely dissatisfied with the service rendered by your company. Maybe a phone call wasn't promptly returned or you weren't able to deliver on the scheduled date. Perhaps an order was shipped to the wrong address. Whatever the reason, you now have an annoyed and frustrated customer on your hands. So what do you do?

Well, for the purpose of this article, let's assume that the customer does indeed have a legitimate gripe. Don't try to simply "handle" this situation and rush back to your other responsibilities. Set a much loftier goal -- to turn this angry individual into a satisfied, loyal customer who will not only continue to do business with you, but will also willingly refer others.

Easier said than done, right? Perhaps. But, don't despair. Rather, be grateful that the person has taken the time to express his or her negative experiences with your firm -- be it in person, via phone, fax, e-mail or letter. You now have an opportunity to turn this individual around. So, once you learn that a customer is upset with your company, take the following actions, without delay.

Get back to the customer immediately
Make sure you contact that individual within a short period of time after the complaint is registered, preferably within an hour or two (assuming that you can't address the situation right on the spot). Remember, you are dealing with a very agitated person, someone who is seething and eager to tell others how you've mistreated him or her. The longer you delay, the more annoyed the unhappy person becomes. If you wait several hours or until the next day to call back or address the customer's concerns, that person will have had ample time to inflict damage on your company's reputation.

Listen and show empathy
When you contact the customer, encourage him or her to tell you what happened, even if the details have been stated earlier in a written communication or phone message. You do this for a few reasons. First, it's therapeutic for the customer to get it off his or her chest one final time, especially when someone is carefully listening. Empathize with the person. For example: "I can see why you were so frustrated when your calls weren't returned." Think about how you'd feel if you were in his or her shoes. Be sincere and never attempt to manipulate the individual.

The second reason to listen to your customer is to gain as much information as possible. The person may add more details than previously reported, making it easier for you to understand his or her dissatisfaction. Listening also allows you to follow up with the appropriate people in your company, determining ways to prevent this situation from recurring.

Admit your mistake
As a lawyer, I recognize that there are some instances where you will not expressly acknowledge fault or confirm your own negligence. However, in the majority of cases, you're not worried about legal consequences. If a representative of your company has been rude or made a mistake, admit it and take responsibility. By doing so, you validate the customer's feelings and diffuse the level of his or her anger.

If, instead, you choose to make excuses or blame the customer, you will make that person even more hostile and resentful (and virtually guarantee that he or she won't remain a customer). So, even if you think that the customer is being unreasonable or making a "mountain out of a molehill," it's not worth arguing about who's right and who's wrong.

Avoid bureaucracy
Even if you've gotten back to the disgruntled customer immediately, you'll end up infuriating him or her all over again if there are bureaucratic delays before resolving the problem. So don't tell the customer that you need to have further meetings with managers or supervisors to determine whether or not he or she is entitled to receive some concession or discount. This just reinforces the customer's feeling that it's not worth doing business with your organization. Simply put, the person who contacts the customer should have the authority to make a final decision. (Note: If there is really a large amount at stake, promise to get back to the customer within 24 hours and then honor your commitment.)

Make a generous offer
Many companies follow the points discussed above -- and then drop the ball. Don't ignore this final step, or you'll wind up losing the customer after all. Remember, your aim is to turn the entire situation around and leave the customer delighted. The reality is that the customer feels that you "owe" something to him or her, beyond empathy and an apology. So don't be afraid to reach deep into your pocket and make a tangible and very generous offer to that individual.

You might give a considerable discount on the current order, a sizable gift certificate or discount on the next order, free merchandise, etc. Use your imagination, but make the offer such that it far exceeds the customer's expectations. You want that person to think, "Wow, this company feels badly about what happened and really wants to keep my business."

In the long run, you are paying a small price to retain this customer and to earn his or her referrals. Your investment will be returned many times over. (Note: This is not a costly strategy, because you should not have many irate customers. If you are getting a high volume of complaints, then you must re-evaluate your product or level of service to eliminate these problems in the first place.)

In virtually every business, acquiring new customers is so expensive that you simply can't afford to lose the ones you already have. And, if you're truly committed to serving your customers, there's no need to lose their business and their valuable referrals, just because they had one bad experience with your company. In the end, customers will be very forgiving if you show them how much you care about them and value their business.

Of course, there's no guarantee that you'll satisfy every angry customer if you follow these guidelines. Some people will leave no matter what you do. However, you'll find that you will retain most of them, and that these customers will eagerly help you grow your business to more profitable levels in the future.

You can order Jeff Keller's book online today
To learn more about Jeff's Attitude Is Everything book, or to order your copy through the Attitude Is Everything site, click here: Attitude Is Everything.

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