“You can please all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot please all the people all the time.” ~ loose adaptation of an Abraham Lincoln quote
Anyone in business understands that you cannot possibly please every single customer. That said, how you handle criticism of your products, employees, or services can mean the difference between an unhappy customer who just wants to be heard and an irate customer bent on a path of destruction for your brand.
I overheard a sticky situation in a store recently. A customer was clearly unhappy that she could not receive a discount on her purchase that day spoke loudly to a store employee. “I’ve been shopping here for five years! No one said that the discount couldn’t be used on a Tuesday.”
The clerk was visibly flustered and called over her manager to handle the customer’s complaint. The manager had overheard the disruption and immediately pointed to a sign which stating the store’s discount policy, and told the customer, “We can’t do that. The discount is only good on Mondays. That’s our policy.” She turned and walked away as several customers looked on.
The customer threw her purchase on the counter and walked out of the store stating loudly, “I’ll never shop here again!”
Watching this scene I couldn’t help but think there was a missed opportunity for the store employee to 1) save a loyal customer and, 2) show other customers that the store cared about them by using 3 key responses to the customer’s complaint.
- Stop and listen. “Could I ask you to tell me again what is upsetting you? I want to fully understand your concerns.” Maintain eye contact and a non-threatening body posture. By listening, the customer feels heard.
- Restate the problem in a calm way. “What I am hearing you say is that you are unhappy that you could not receive a discount today. Is that right?” Repeating the problem in a calm manner can make it seem smaller.
- Show empathy. “I understand your frustration. That’s happened to me before too. I’m sorry that we are unable to extend the discount as that is our corporate policy, but what I can do is …..” Fill this in with whatever is appropriate.
The last thing you want to do is alienate a customer EVEN if it was her fault – she can’t read, she just wanted her way, or is always a complete pain in the you know what. Customers who feel ripped off are very apt to take their complaints to the Internet today using review websites like Yelp, Manta, Google, and social media like Facebook, Twitter and others. Significant damage can be done to your brand because of a customer’s dissatisfaction.
Teach your employees how to handle these kinds of situations BEFORE they happen. Role play, decide what can be done to smooth over a mistake and be prepared to take responsibility. Refer to your Employee Handbook and procedures to make sure everyone is on the same page.
