Posts
We’ve all seen it—the customer who will never be satisfied or complains needlessly, hoping to get something comped. We all know the customer isn’t always right. With the advent of Facebook, Twitter and the like customer complaints can move faster than ever...
Better to be Sorry than Safe – Crisis Customer Management
Home » Social Media » Better to be Sorry than Safe – Crisis Customer Management
We’ve all seen it—the customer who will never be satisfied or complains needlessly, hoping to get something comped. We all know the customer isn’t always right. With the advent of Facebook, Twitter and the like customer complaints can move faster than ever.
I’ve always said, light may be fast but nothing moves at the speed of stupid.
So how can you counter a customer complaint before it has a chance to go viral? Like any other relationship, customer relationships have to be built and maintained. Here are a few quick and dirty tips:
- If it’s Yours, Own It. Admit to specifics and don’t give excuses. Don’t even give reasons.
- Be Nicer than the Complainer. If he’s nice, be extra nice. If he’s nasty, still be extra nice.
- Suck Up the Pride. Maybe to you the product was great, but that doesn’t mean your customer has the same perception. Make the first move.
- Be Public and Private. When it hits the net, counter what hits the net, but also so go to the customer in private.
- Don’t Delete. Don’t dump posts or censor comments; rather counter them.
If things are done right you may make an ally. There are wack-jobs out there, but their friends know they’re wack-jobs and nobody takes them seriously. On the other hand, I can’t tell you the tag line of United Airlines but I still remember Mrs. Irlweg and the words to United Breaks Guitars.
People are both forgiving and suspicious. If they see you making a sincere effort they will be forgiving, but will be less so if posts come up missing or it looks like you’re hiding something. Trying to bury it or hoping it will go away may seem like a safe approach but in the internet age, sorry is better than safe.
No comments:
Post a Comment