Today is a day of opportunity for all. I always say the 2 types of service never forgotten is exceptional and horrible.

Today you will most likely receive more calls with complaints than compliments. In many cases they are out-of-town orders. While some customers will say, “I know you didn’t do it the other shop did,” they don’t mean it. They are being kind but at the end, they trusted you with their transaction.

You have a choice…Now is the time to TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. Assure the customer you will get all the details and once you do, you will call them back with a resolution after an explanation.

The biggest mistake I see florists make is apologizing too quickly or stay dealing out excuses before understanding the cause of the problem.

I always ask my staff to LISTEN first. Don’t ever go into a customer service call with a planned resolution. You won’t know what a customer wants until you LISTEN. Trust me, almost everyone does this by nature. I remember once my customer service agent cam in my office and said the customer was upset and my agent offered $10 off and the customer got even more mad. Well do you blame the customer? The order was $200 for a funeral and they didn’t arrive out-of-town. It wasn’t the $10 it was that the customer was never acknowledged, there was more to it. The agent was not trained to listen first, and therefore showed her hand too fast. It was an even greater disappointment as the customer really felt at the point he was just a number.

This was over 5 years ago. I learned quickly that it was MY responsibility to train my staff and not to preprogram them. Listen and react to what is going to make that customer not only be ok, but realize this is why I shop local.
Today’s customer is armed like never before. From reviews online to social networking…..today’s customer is a smoking gun. The way you handle the situation can make and break the relationship and confidence people have with you and your company.

So if you get a complaint today, remember it is an opportunity in disguise!I believe through the years I made more customers from complaints than I ever did from compliments. Everyone can take a compliment, but you see the dedication and the true colors of a company when they receive a complaint!

All my best,

Art

#customers #complaints #customerservice #opportunities #mothersday