Staying zen isn't easy when confronted with conflict.
What if I told you that, if you play your cards right, you can transform a customer from angry and disappointed to grateful and loyal? No, it's not sorcery. It's good customer service.
We entrepreneurs often think of angry customers as lost causes. As they scream and yell over the phone, we mentally write off their names as bad customers that prayerfully we’ll never hear from again. However, I advocate the opposite approach. Instead of giving up, work harder to bring those angry customers back into the fold.
Say Thank You
You'd be surprised how much magic those two words can work on an irate customer. Simply say, "Thank you so much for bringing this to my attention. I always want to know when there's a problem."
This strategy shifts the conversation from blame and anger to gratitude and appreciation. You're letting your customer know that you're proud to serve them, and few people can respond to a "thank you" with abusive language.
Shift Into Problem-Solving Mode
This isn't the time to make promises you can't keep, issue apology after apology, or defend your business. Instead, jump straight to a potential resolution.
An angry customer doesn't care how many times you say "I'm sorry." He or she cares what you intend to do about it.
If you order food at a restaurant and the server brings the wrong dish, you're not looking for an apology and a smile. You want what you ordered.
Set Your Ego Aside
In my experience, as entrepreneurs we often go wrong with customer service when they start to take their customers' words personally. If you internalize the criticism you hear, your first instinct will be to defend and conquer. Resist those urges. Remember that the customer is relating a personal experience that has nothing to do with you (unless, of course, you ruined the customer's experience on purpose, but I'm sure that didn't happen).
To turn your customer into an advocate, adopt a customer-focused mentality. Instead of thinking about your feelings, try to understand the customer's position, and don’t get too wrapped up into the emotions. Even if they are screaming at you.
Smile Wide
Have you ever passed a stranger on the street who smiled at you? Did you smile back? Probably, because it's a human response.
We respond positively to a friendly smile, so use that knowledge to your advantage. Use your smile at appropriate moments, of course, but don't hesitate to flash a friendly grin to change the mood of the conversation.
Exceed Expectations
Remember my advice about solutions above? Take it seriously. No matter what, don't let a customer down. If you can't resolve an angry customer's problem, you'll probably lose the customer.
However, there’s always a workable solution, you just need to get the customer to grudgingly accept. Come up with a resolution that demonstrates how much you care. Offer a small free gift certificate, throw in free gift or give a coupon that other people don't get. Make the experience memorable — but in a good way.
I believe that customer service is the cornerstone of a successful small business. Turning an angry customer into an advocate might take effort and willpower, but I believe you can manage it. If you're interested in learning more about how I've build a successful business over the last 18 years, join smallbizchat every Wed 8pm live on twitter. You'll get to know me and other like-minded entrepreneurs, and get answers to your small business questions..
This article was originally published under How to Handle unhappy customers on your small business on www.succeedasyourownboss.com