How to Improve Your Business Image When Handling Unhappy Customers

Having a business is one of the most celebrated things in society. But many people do not know the struggles and the work that one has to deal with and put in to make sure that the business is doing well. Every business depends on customers to run. As such, it is vital to have happy, satisfied customers. Did you know that the greatest source of leads for any business is usually referrals? Customers are the key pillars for business and thus they should be handled with care each and every time to ensure they will return and recommend you to new people.

How do you deal with your customers on a daily basis or how do you handle a case to make sure that the unhappy customer you are dealing with does not tarnish the name of your company? The one thing that makes a business outstanding is to provide good customer service. How you will handle your aggrieved customer will build your brand or destroy it completely. With the era of so many social media platforms, the image can be built or destroyed within minutes or even seconds.

Businesses and companies try to meet their customers’ needs and may make mistakes on the way because no one is perfect. However, there are ways to mend your business’ reputation. Use the tips mentioned in this article to convince your clients to come back.

Act Fast

Action is the basis of everything. If you hear of any grievances from a client, the very first thing that you have to do is to get in touch with them as soon as you can. Solving problems at the very first stage of an issue prevents it from escalating later on. Additionally, when your response to a client is fast, it shows that you are concerned for your customers, and they are your priority. Acknowledge that you have received the complaint and you are in the process of working on it. Everyone likes to be served with quickness, and getting feedback gives the client the assurance they are valued and that they have been heard. 

The ideal effectiveness of dealing with unhappy customers heavily relies on communicating with them at the earliest possible time. Whenever negative information circulates about your company, time is of the essence. Trying to wish it away or delaying your response will only exacerbate the damage to your brand. When responding to negative commentary, remain calm and collected to avoid escalating hostilities. Identify who is providing the commentary, determine when they are likely to be available, and construct a message consistent with what they need to hear that would be the quickest avenue to satisfy them.

Be Proactive

It is best not to draw your umbrella only when it rains. Likewise, you should continually engage with your clients to provide them with a consistent and persistent stream of information that strengthens relationships. When nothing bad is happening with your brand, you might feel that you are bothering your clients with any communication. However, your business should continually build rapport with them to improve confidence when times are good by publishing helpful advice on a regular basis. When the need to hear from you arises, followers and loyal clients will rush first to your company’s communication channels to hear what is new and exciting. They want to experience content that is aligned with their interests and needs, which will help maintain relationships when mistakes are made.

Own up the mistake and apologize sincerely

We all make mistakes at some point in life, don’t we? Well, no one is perfect. Similarly, no business is perfect. Accepting that you were at fault and you are working towards making the situation better is one way of winning your customers’ hearts. Brands must be ready to take the good with the bad as you will face an incredible amount of confidence challenges when growing your business. There is nothing as mature and appealing as owning up to your mistakes, be it for a spoiled product or a misbehaved employee. When your business acknowledges and fixes these mistakes, clients view the situation as genuine. This admittance can improve the image of your brand since clients gain confidence that any mistakes will be resolved with dignity. Furthermore, this level of maturity and responsibility could help you win over disgruntled clients from your competitors.

A lot of customers look at what you are doing to make sure that you are correcting the mess because at the end of the day actions speak louder than words. How you respond to your unhappy clients is what will give you a plus or a minus in your business. If you amicably solve the matters raised then the customers will automatically sell you out there but if you don’t care, they will also publicize your business as a bad one who cannot satisfy customers, and they will encourage others to boycott your services.  

With the back and forth with customers you get to get the experience of solving complaints. Take hold of the chance and improve the situation. As a business owner, you get to assess the most raised complaints about the business and note them down every time. If it is a recurrent problem, then you have to know where it is emanating from and solve it immediately before it worsens since it might be raised by different unhappy clients. 

At times, you have to engage some clients to ask them how would they prefer to be served if is a concern raised by many clients who are not satisfied so that you are able to build a friendly environment for all the clients, and they will feel involved and valued. Checking on your clients every time and sending them messages to remind them of services offered and welcoming makes them feel loved despite the fact that they might be annoying to them when it is overdone. Follow-up and know if the product that was repaired is working well and assure them that the mistake will never be repeated. 

Deliver beyond Customer Expectations. Once the complaint has been raised and the unhappy client feels disappointed and feels like he/ she will never work with your company or will not contact you at any point, plead for a second chance to correct the mistake. Empower employees to work extra hard to exceed customer expectations to resolve their concerns, and be clear it was just a mistake, but you can do better. Set the time and date of when the job should be done and be sure to deliver the product on the agreed time frame or even before then. Put a smile on your client’s face, making the experience much better than before. Once a customer has gotten great service, they tend to forget about the frustrations and will likely still refer their friends to your place because you stood out when the second chance was given. 

Take Some Time For Yourself

After dealing with an unhappy customer, take a break from what you are doing to clear your head to ensure that the stress of dealing with an unhappy customer does not result in you making additional errors with other activities. Treat yourself to a short walk, a snack, or interact with someone that makes you laugh.

It is critical for any response to a dissatisfied customer to be perfectly timed, responsive, persistent, and consistent. The focus should be prioritized on customers who matter more, but you should consider the value of responding to customers who use your services less often as you could potentially develop a long-term deeper relationship with them. A coordinated strategy will make your interactions cost-effective, impactful, and could turn your critics into some of your most loyal promoters.

Need help in responding to unhappy customers and managing your business reputation? Let a highly experienced business consulting agency advise you in the most effective manner in how to turn it around and establish business growth! Schedule a free business consultation today by calling us at 617-651-1457 or emailing us at [email protected]!

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]