Happy Friday, everyone!
This week's poll question was prompted by an article I came across a while ago, Nine Tips for Dealing with Angry and Difficult Customers. I especially liked tip #5, Don't blame. The author, sales trainer Dave Kahle, notes, "Blaming someone emphasizes that you are more concerned with yourself than you are with making things right with the customer. It emphasizes the past (what happened), instead of the future (what you can do to fix this.)"
So here is this week's question:
What's the most memorable experience you've had dealing with an angry customer? How did you respond, and how was the situation resolved?
Looking forward to reading your replies!
at April 28, 2017 10:05 AM PDT
I once worked in high-end audio retail. There was a car-audio department, and the installers had accidentally installed the wrong speakers in a customer's car. The head of the department told me, "We made a mistake. We'll make it right. They're the more expensive speakers, but we're not charging her for them. It won't take long to change them out, she just has to come around again and we'll fix it."
The customer came in that night to pick up her car. I explained the situation and she went ballistic. I said, "I understand. We're sorry about this. We're going to make it right and it's not going to cost you anything." She kept yelling at me. I kept saying, "I understand. There's nothing we can do about it right now. We're sorry it happened, and we're going to fix it." She continued yelling. It was completely irrational and way out of propotion with the scope of the error. She eventually stormed out of the store and drove off.
The next day, she came around to pick up the car again. She'd apparently dropped it off in the morning before anyone arrived. She came into the store, and was all smiles and cheer. She thanked me for how I'd handled the situation the previous night, and said she appreciated it. She handed me her card. I looked at it: she was a practicing psychologist.
Sometimes, it just doesn't take much. And sometimes, it doesn't matter what you say, some folks will never be appeased.
A furniture store is going out of business. Using a country music format the owner wants to do a remote promoting a going out of business sale. The budget is too small to make an impact (buying nothing more than a remote). Advice? This is money better invested in advertisements not the best use of money on a remote. I declined the business. Imagine that I refused to take the money, but for the right reason. Also imagine the owner insists on a remote. (That never happens right?) “You will not get the results expected,” I said. Sure enough the owner is disappointed, blames the station, blames radio and blames me. There is no resolution; there is no happy ending.
Never betray what you know to be true for the short-term dollar. Only sell what is beneficial to the client. If you do not adhere to these principles radio ultimately gets the blame and you have just created a customer for television and newspaper.
All the complaints from angry customers were called in to the station in my case. I immediately spoke by phone with the client and would ask if I could come right over and said how long it might take me to get there. I would suggest before I arrive the client give some thought to the sort of outcome they expect and share that with me. I want my client to know they'll get immediate attention face to face and that I want them happy (or as least upset as I can manage). In fact, I was talking to a future client when it happened one time. I apoligized to the account but said I had to go, that an account had an issue and needed my help now. I tried to turn it positive for the potential account (as in I'll drop everything for you when you sign on the dotted line too).
I find the initial conversation by phone calms them down and makes them more rational and less 'out for blood'.
When I visit in person I start by saying "Name, I'm sorry. I wanted to say that face-to-face because I think it is important to do so". Then I ask if we can explore how the problem came up so I can learn how to prevent it from happening again. Then I tell them I only want happy customers and ask if they have some ideas on how to resolve the problem. If possible I let them choose the remedy. If I'm not sure I can get it done, I'll say so but tell them I'll fight for what they want. I worked some decent stations that pretty much let me make an on the spot decision and I did.
There's something else I did. I would go to Hallmark and buy a Thank You card. I'd send it to the client thanking them for the chance to solve the problem and I'd express I appreciated how my client chose to handle the problem and if the client showed any mercy they'd get "I wish every one of my clients had your qualities. I feel fortunate to count you as a customer". Even if they cancelled they got a card with a note thanking them for trying our station, apologizing for the problem and hoping we might rebuild the bridge at some point.
I never came across anyone that was anything but reasonable.
I suppose I should temper that with a one-time account that demanded to buy a remote like the previous post. I tried and tried to talk him out of it. He was not happy with the results. He wanted a refund but I told him that wasn't going to happen because he received exactly what he bought. I told him I make my living by knowing what gets my station's listeners to react. That is why I told you not to do this. Consider this a lesson learned. And if you buy print, TV, radio or anything else to please heed the advice of that sales rep because they know how to get the buyers to your door. He never bought again and it was no real loss to me. He was the sort that would have cost me way too much time for the dollars he spent.
One was an issue involving only me. The client owned 3 bars. I wrote down all the copy points but mistakenly advertised Ladies Night for the wrong bar. I got a call at home. My client said we would talk about it the next morning. I suggested he let every lady in free and I would personally pay their cover charge. I showed up with a wad of cash hoping the damage wasn't too bad. It struck a chord with my client who told me I had done a thousand or more commercials for his businesses and only messed up one. He said that was a good track record, to put away my cash and write down today's specials. If I hadn't pulled out the cash I don't know what the outcome would have been but I can tell you we really bonded after that. I recall my wife and I were having a steak dinner at one of his businesses and he walked up and signed my ticket saying it was on him. Then he asked if I'd tip the waitress well because she was going through a really rough patch. I tipped what the steak dinners cost. He thanked me for being generous the next morning.
