Marketing Strategy 68: Respond To Complaints Fast

If you’re in business for any length of time, it is almost inevitable that you will get complaints.

Everyone will make mistakes, including you. You’re only human!That’s why in today’s lesson, I want to share some tips with you for dealing with unhappy clients.
Here they are… First, always respond to complaints quickly.Think of an unhappy customer like a faulty water boiler. The longer you wait… the more pressure builds up -until eventually it can explode.

The best course of action when you get a complaint is to diffuse it very quickly.

For good clients who just had something go wrong, correct it in a hurry… and apologise. For ‘bad apple’ clients, it’s better to refund their money as quickly as possible. If you refund their money, they can’t say bad things about you. But if you keep their money, they will go out of their way to tell everyone how awful your business is. This can especially problematic in today’s social media world because platforms like Facebook give angry clients a podium to shout from.

Second, always listen carefully to any complaints. In general people don’t complain unless they have good reason. Takethe time to understand their point of view, so you can respond appropriately.

Third, use the complaint as an opportunity to sell. After you have fixed a problem for a ‘good’ client, go one step further and exceed expectations. You can do this by providing a discount on the next service, a referral to another cleaner, a small gift to say sorry.

When you exceed expectations like this, you create a lasting impression on the client. In some cases, they will actually recommend your service to friends and family.

TODAY’S TASK:Responding To Complaints

Today’s task is an ongoing process. It’s not something you can complete in one day.

1. Respond quickly to every complaint. Do not leave an unhappy customer waiting.
2. Try to do the following in your complaint response:
   • Speak in a conversational tone
   • Use the client’s name
   • Explain what you will do to fix the issue
   • Acknowledge the client’s situation
   • If you made a mistake, take ownership of it immediately
3. If the complaint is by phone or in person, be friendly, apologize and try to fix the problem as best you can -even if that means giving a refund.
4. If the complaint is on social media, respond politely and explain what you are doing to fix the issue. Invite the person to contact you privately because it’s important to keep the conversation out of the public eye as much as possible.

Downloadable Marketing Strategy 68 Form