OK, you screwed up and some customers are upset. All is not lost. You can win back their love (and loyalty) with a few tactics.
You may not be able to make make all of your customers happy after a negative experience, error or difficult situation. But the right words or actions at the right time can do a lot in the way of healing, says sales and service expert Tim Parker.
Four ways he recommends winning back customers when the time comes:
- Do what you said you would when said you’d do it. Nothing could be more damaging to a customer relationship than failing to deliver on a promise made after a customer has complained. If you promise any sort of follow-up, deliver on it twice if you can. Even if you know the contact will be less than pleasant, customers will respect you more for keeping your word.
- Share more information. You don’t want to argue points or become defensive with customers who are upset. But you may want to arm them with more information so they can make educated decisions about doing business with you again. Avoid excuses, and give them facts on what’s happened, what you’ll do now and how the problem will be avoided in the future. Don’t sugarcoat anything.
- Wipe the slate clean. When customers stay with you after a mistake or negative situation, they’re saying they’re willing to forgive you. When you interact with them, do so as if nothing ever happened. You don’t want to label any customer as a “problem” even if he or she did make a scene or was the cause of the issue. Also, you don’t need to dwell on a past experience that wasn’t so good.
- Know when to say goodbye. Some customers will demand far more than what is due to them for the wrong that has happened. In those rare instances, it might be best to let them part ways rather than invest more time and resources into making things right when you’ll probably never net a positive result. Thank them for their business and wish them well.
