No matter how long you've been in business, that big pit that forms in your stomach when you get a customer complaint never seems to lessen.
And no matter how great your product or service is, customer complaints are going to happen.
Of course, if it's a regular thing, you'd be wise to take the criticism to heart if you want to be in business very long.
But for most small businesses, complaints are few and result from either an honest miscommunication, or an irrational customer.
Solving the Problem Before it Starts
The best way to handle difficult customers is to keep difficult prospects from ever becoming customers.
And the best way to do that is usually through your gut instinct.
Inevitably, a red flag pops up before any money has changed hands. You just get that feeling that this one might be a problem.
Dig a little deeper when that feeling hits you, and save yourself the future hassle by just saying "not" and wishing your prospective customer well.
The other key to avoiding difficult customers is communication. Don't just send over the contract that lays it all out and assume you can rely on that.
Most people don't read long documents very carefully, if at all, instead assuming things will go as they expect them to.
Confirm the important details by phone, and follow up with emails that require a response.
No matter what steps you take, however, inevitably you're going to end up with that customer. And as unfortunate as it is, one bad apple can do some serious damage to your business if you don't handle it right.
Obviously, if the complaint is justified, go over and beyond to make things right with the customer.
But, if it's a case of the customer isn't always right, here are five rules you should be following that will make these unfortunate situations easier to deal with.
1. Have a Social Media Strategy
Disgruntled customers are very empowered these days. As a business owner, you can't just throw their angry letter in the trash, or dismiss their irate phone call and move on.
Social media has given a big stage and a microphone to your customers, and the unhappy ones always sing the loudest.
Wherever you have a presence, they'll jump in and -- depending on how much energy they want to put into it -- they can make your life miserable and become the worst of trolls.
When you get a complaint or negative comment, unless it's profanity filled and something other readers would be offended by, resist that urge to delete it. That can fuel the fire of a dissatisfied customer with too much time on his hands.
Instead, apologize for the problem and invite the person to connect with you privately to straighten it out, whether that be through DM, email, or a phone call.
Monitor your social media and don't engage publicly with unhappy customers. Have a short, polite invitation you use to take the issue privately. This shows the rest of your audience that you are attentive and professional.
And if you eventually have to resort to deleting comments, your audience will see that you've tried and recognize that the fault lies with the angry customer, not you.
2. Know When It's Profitable to Refund
Oftentimes the difficult customer will simply go away if you just issue a refund.
The decision to refund can be difficult, however. You've given the customer something of value and you're losing money if you issue a refund, which is obviously not good for business.
It's often a matter of principal too. Issuing a refund makes it appear that you've done something wrong, and when you know you haven't, this can be a bitter pill to swallow.
It's important to look at the big picture here. It's often more profitable to just issue the refund, even though it's initially taking money from your profits.
Dealing with the difficult customer takes time, time that you could be doing other revenue-generating activities.
And, depending on how difficult the customer is, she could cost you business with others whose opinions are swayed by her recommendations against you.
So swallow your pride and ask yourself if you might not come out ahead in the end by just refunding the customer if it will cause them to leave your universe.
3. It's Okay to Fire the Customer
The one thing most every business wants is more customers, especially when you're a small business owner. This makes the thought of firing an existing customer that you've worked so hard to get a little scary.
But there will be people out there who are more trouble than they are worth. They suck up your time and energy in a way that makes them a liability rather than an asset to your business.
It can be hard to understand where these customers are coming from. If they're so unhappy with you, why don't they take their business elsewhere?
The answer is that it's really themselves or something else they're unhappy about, and they're just taking it out on you by being eternally difficult.
When you identify a customer like this, fire him. Don't make the mistake of thinking you'll ever get to the point where you've finally made him happy, you won't.
Let him go so you can make room for customers who you actually can make happy, and who will be profitable for you.
4. Take the High Road and Move On
As small business owners, we're pretty passionate about our businesses. For many of us, our business is our "baby," our "dream."
The natural tendency is to defend our product or service to the end. This can mean wasting a lot of time and energy arguing with a difficult customer.
If someone feels you have wronged her, you should definitely try to change her mind and accommodate her complaints by making them right.
But, it's also important to realize when you have a customer who is never going to be "made right."
When the communications become a hopeless back and forth and you can see no end in sight, be the one to walk away.
Don't resort to name-calling and unkind personal attacks, even if that's what's being thrown at you. Tell the person you have many satisfied customers, you're sorry she isn't one of them, you wish her well, but you don't think further discussion will benefit anyone.
If she continues to try to engage you, resist the urge to respond and she will move on.
5. Ask for Reviews and Respond to Comments
Because difficult customers tend to be the nosiest, the best way to deal with them can be to have a vocal tribe of happy, loyal customers.
To do this, you're going to have to ask satisfied customers to take a minute to register their good experience with you, because most won't think to do it.
If you're a physical business, ask for Yelp and Google reviews. If you're an online business, ask people to email you a sentence or two you can use in the reviews section of your website, or wherever you showcase such things.
You can also send out a customer survey and offer an incentive for them to respond, such as a coupon or free gift.
Whatever works best for you, just constantly be building a cushion of positive reviews so that when the difficult customer does show up, he'll be seen as an outlier rather than an authoritative voice on how you do business.
Getting Help With Your Business
Modern technology makes it easy for just about anyone to start a business. Growing that business into a long-term success story, however, comes with many bumps along the road.
At Kids Party Characters, owner Cheryl Jacobs has had a hand in starting 10 different businesses and has learned how to navigate those bumps. She now has a passion for helping other entrepreneurs start a business from scratch.
With the special needs of work at home moms in mind, Cheryl's created a unique opportunity with Kids Party Characters that takes much of the learning curve out of starting your own business.
Membership in Kids Party Characters gives you an exclusive territory in which to book parties, along with access to all the tools Cheryl's used to make her business a success, including step-by-step training from Cheryl herself.
If you think this might be the right opportunity for you, schedule a call with Cheryl today to get all your questions answered and learn more about how to get started.
You can learn more about what it means to own your own Kids Party Characters business by joining us on Facebook for daily updates on the magic we bring to children's parties, as well as tips and strategies about being a successful work at home mom.
No comments:
Post a Comment