4 Smart Tips to Soothe Post-Holiday Complainers
As hard as you worked to make sure every Valentine's Day order was handled perfectly for every customer, you may discover today that some customers weren't happy with their gifts. When you learn of errors (or, at least, errors in the eyes of your customers), how do you handle them? After all, the Internet gives angry customers "a megaphone" with which to voice their complaints.
To keep a problem from escalating, you need to make sure you follow some specific steps. They include the following four smart steps to soothing cranky customers:
1) Respond to the complaint.
If you ignore the gripe, you may incite the complainer to take his or her unhappiness to the 'Net. Using social media, that person could influence countless numbers of both current and prospective customers. Consider the example of what happened when United Airlines damaged a musician's guitar and then ignored his complaints. He uploaded a YouTube video in which he voiced his anger--and it got 12 million views. Granted, few of your customers are likely to get that same amount of attention should they go online with their grievances. But you never know to whom you are delivering a bouquet. So you don't want to take the chance of a misunderstanding going viral.
2. Acknowledge the individual.
Awhile back, Bank of America got hammered by customer protests when it added a fee that would negatively impact millions of its debit-card holders. Rather than backtracking and admitting it had made a mistake in anticipating clients' response, the company tried to defend itself--and protests against the company were even more vehement.
And, again, while you won't be facing multitudes of complainers like Bank of America, just one customer on Facebook or Twitter can air the message to a much wider audience. So if you or someone in your shop made a mistake, own up to it honestly. Surveys show that customers appreciate and even admire owners and executives who are willing to fall on their sword. Be compassionate and professional in your response, even if you hate to admit you were wrong.
3. Don't elevate the issue.
Sure, you take a lot of pride in your shop and what you deliver to customers. You darned well don't want to accept blame for an issue that wasn't your fault (such as a wire-service order that got delivered too late or a customer who provided an incorrect address). Nevertheless, don't let that pride lead you to a response in which you blame or discredit the the complainer. You'll only sound like a bully, even if you are in the right. So avoid any criticism--whether directly or via innuendo--back at the customer. By putting him on the defensive, you may end up with an even bigger issue--especially if it turns out you actually were to blame for the complaint.
4. Swallow your pride and apologize.
When reality sets in and you realize you made an error, it's time to admit your fault. As tempting as it is to make excuses, don't. Simply vow to fix the issue and promise it won't happen again. Don't make the mistake of Netflix's CEO after the price-changing debacle several years back. Though he did apologize for his bungled response to customers' backlash when the company announced its restructured pricing, he continued to try to argue his case via social media. The response? His company's stock sunk 40 percent. Ouch!
The lesson? You could create more problems with your apology than you solve when you try to make excuses.
Did you experience customer complaints and are unsure how to respond? Send your questions to gina@flowerchat.com. And don't forget to ask your fellow florists for support. Check on some great tips FlowerChatters offered one member's cry for help when she was notified about a complaint--five months after the floral delivery!
As hard as you worked to make sure every Valentine's Day order was handled perfectly for every customer, you may discover today that some customers weren't happy with their gifts. When you learn of errors (or, at least, errors in the eyes of your customers), how do you handle them? After all, the Internet gives angry customers "a megaphone" with which to voice their complaints.
To keep a problem from escalating, you need to make sure you follow some specific steps. They include the following four smart steps to soothing cranky customers:
1) Respond to the complaint.
If you ignore the gripe, you may incite the complainer to take his or her unhappiness to the 'Net. Using social media, that person could influence countless numbers of both current and prospective customers. Consider the example of what happened when United Airlines damaged a musician's guitar and then ignored his complaints. He uploaded a YouTube video in which he voiced his anger--and it got 12 million views. Granted, few of your customers are likely to get that same amount of attention should they go online with their grievances. But you never know to whom you are delivering a bouquet. So you don't want to take the chance of a misunderstanding going viral.
2. Acknowledge the individual.
Awhile back, Bank of America got hammered by customer protests when it added a fee that would negatively impact millions of its debit-card holders. Rather than backtracking and admitting it had made a mistake in anticipating clients' response, the company tried to defend itself--and protests against the company were even more vehement.
And, again, while you won't be facing multitudes of complainers like Bank of America, just one customer on Facebook or Twitter can air the message to a much wider audience. So if you or someone in your shop made a mistake, own up to it honestly. Surveys show that customers appreciate and even admire owners and executives who are willing to fall on their sword. Be compassionate and professional in your response, even if you hate to admit you were wrong.
3. Don't elevate the issue.
Sure, you take a lot of pride in your shop and what you deliver to customers. You darned well don't want to accept blame for an issue that wasn't your fault (such as a wire-service order that got delivered too late or a customer who provided an incorrect address). Nevertheless, don't let that pride lead you to a response in which you blame or discredit the the complainer. You'll only sound like a bully, even if you are in the right. So avoid any criticism--whether directly or via innuendo--back at the customer. By putting him on the defensive, you may end up with an even bigger issue--especially if it turns out you actually were to blame for the complaint.
4. Swallow your pride and apologize.
When reality sets in and you realize you made an error, it's time to admit your fault. As tempting as it is to make excuses, don't. Simply vow to fix the issue and promise it won't happen again. Don't make the mistake of Netflix's CEO after the price-changing debacle several years back. Though he did apologize for his bungled response to customers' backlash when the company announced its restructured pricing, he continued to try to argue his case via social media. The response? His company's stock sunk 40 percent. Ouch!
The lesson? You could create more problems with your apology than you solve when you try to make excuses.
Did you experience customer complaints and are unsure how to respond? Send your questions to gina@flowerchat.com. And don't forget to ask your fellow florists for support. Check on some great tips FlowerChatters offered one member's cry for help when she was notified about a complaint--five months after the floral delivery!
