As business owners, we’re all bound to have to deal with disappointed customers from time to time. Often, dealing with the stress of a bad review, or a nasty email, feels unbearable, and handling the situation feels impossible. Recently I dealt with a client that felt punched in the face when a customer expressed her dissatisfaction with her services, and she wanted to know how to handle the situation. We created a plan, and I was so happy to hear that the customer not only calmed down in a huge way but winded up sending my client a referral a few days later. These tips will turn you into a conflict/resolution pro in no time!
The first step to handling a disappointed customer is to give yourself a little time before you react. Criticism is never fun, and it will be much easier to manage the situation if you give yourself time to breathe. I have a rule that I always wait 30 minutes before responding to an unwanted email (personal or business related). This allows me to get my head on straight, and handle the situation objectively.
For many of us, it’s natural to jump to the worst case scenario, and that’s one of the worst things you can do! Try to relax, and stop assuming things will play out poorly. More often than not, if correctly handled, you can turn a negative experience around!
The most important thing to remember when dealing with disappointed customers is to be kind, fast, and honest.
Say you sell an online course, and someone wants a refund. If your policy states that you’ll issue a full refund, no questions asked, if someone is not satisfied with the course, and someone sends an email wanting a refund, it is up to you to give them a refund, no questions asked. Don’t get snarky; you’re the one who wrote the policy!
While you need to live up to your refund policies, it’s important to ask for feedback.
The client I mentioned was in this exact situation. After receiving a fairly nasty, vague email from someone that had purchased one of her e-courses and wanted a refund, she responded an hour after she received the email, and it went something like this:
Hi, Cheryl!
Thank you so much for getting in contact with me. I’m so sorry you did not find the course helpful.
You are correct; you are entitled to a full refund. It is crucial to me that my customers are completely satisfied, so I would love to know a little more about what you didn’t like about my course.
You have lifetime access to the course, so I would love to have the opportunity to help you get what you expected out of it! If there is something I can do to improve your experience, please let me know!
Your refund should be in your account in 3-5 business days.
Again, thank you so much for being honest with me, and allowing me to fix the situation as best I can. I appreciate your honest feedback!
In this particular situation, the disappointed customer winded up being so impressed with how prompt and personal the response was, that she immediately backed down. She winded up apologizing for her heated email, explaining that she’d had a bad week, and may have blown the situation out of proportion. She backtracked and said the refund wasn’t necessary, but suggested that a half hour phone call might help her so she could clarify a few things.
My client agreed, and still issued the refund, as she had reversed the charge already.
A few days later, she had another person purchase the course, on the recommendation of the previously disappointed customer.
Talk about turning someone’s frown upside down!
Follow these steps, and there’s a good chance you will find even your disappointed customers walk away feeling satisfied:
1. Say Thank You
Some people will just slink away, without ever letting you know they are unhappy. An unhappy customer you don’t know exists is far worse than one that calls you out! Every disappointed customer that comes your way gives you an opportunity to grow, and that’s what leads to success!
Perhaps the person is just a complainer. It happens. What can you do to appeal more towards your ideal clients, and less to people that will wind up unhappy? Negative feedback may not tell you there’s something wrong with your product or service; it might mean there’s an issue with how you’re marketing it.
Show gratitude to the people that are willing to put themselves out there and tell you how they feel. You’d be surprised at how quickly you can disarm someone with a smile.
2. Parrot Their Concerns
Perhaps you can’t understand their issues (maybe their problems are ridiculous- it happens!), but you can show empathy by parroting what they say back to you.
“I understand that you are disappointed in the way your pictures turned out. You’re frustrated with the amount of images you feel are similar, and I can see how that would be unsettling.”
The worst thing you can do is try to argue with a client; you’ll only escalate the situation. You want disappointed customers to feel like you’re their ally, not their enemy!
3. Ask For Feedback
Sometimes, disappointed customers will provide you more insight than your happy customers.
Always look for the grain of truth in each bit of negative feedback. The more specific people are, the better! It gives you the chance to decide if there is something you can do to improve the experience for future customers.
Perhaps the change is in your product or service, your marketing, or your contract.
Strive to make one change to your business, each time you get less than stellar feedback. Don’t let that information go to waste!
4. Never Lose Your Cool
Sometimes, no matter how kind you are, and how much you do to fix a situation, someone is just going to think you suck. It is what it is.
Do what you can, and always remain kind and respectful.
Sometimes, the most important thing to do is know not to respond. Once you’ve done the first three steps, and have offered a fair solution, close the book on the conversation. Don’t spend three days going back and forth trying to convince someone of your point of view. Just drop it, and move on!
Most importantly, remember that not everyone will like you, or your products/services.
A few years ago, I was SO excited to hear about a skincare secret weapon, a miracle product by Mario Badescu that would clear up a pimple overnight. I ran to Ulta and came home, beyond excited to nix my newest zit while I slept.
Alas, I woke up, and the uninvented red guest on my cheek was still there, taunting me.
I tried it a few more times, with no change, so I returned the product.
It wasn’t personal. I didn’t hate Mario. The product just didn’t work for me. A few months later I tried one of his face masks and loved it. I now keep the mask stocked in my medicine cabinet, despite our rocky start.
The sooner you stop taking negative feedback personally, the better. Business transactions aren’t personal, they’re business, baby!
How do you handle a disappointed customer? Shout it out! If you ever find yourself in a sticky situation, drop me a line, and I’ll help you diffuse the situation. I am ALWAYS happy to help!
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