Unhappy Customers Are Great For Business by:Tom Perrett
"I've got a problem you had better come and see" is not a phrase that any small business owner wants to hear from one of his customers
. You know it will not be easy but there are many reasons why this can be good news for your business.
Firstly, the customer could have said nothing. The next thing you know is that they have stopped buying from you. In telling you he has a problem he is allowing you a chance to rectify the situation.
Once you meet and discuss his problem there are a number of scenarios.
Perhaps the perceived problem is not a problem at all. He ordered red boxes and you delivered blue boxes. Actually his red boxes have already arrived, are hidden in his stores, and his colleague ordered blue boxes.
OK there is a problem. The last batch of red boxes were a different shade of red. He needs the exact same shade as before. You understand his problem, you arrange for the correct shade of red boxes to be delivered tomorrow and you take away the ones he can`t use.
Or perhaps the new red boxes aren't from you. His buyer has bought from another source.
But why is all this good? It gives you a chance to show that you are not just a commodity. In understanding his problem and coming up with an answer you have offered a higher value to your product. The next time a competitor comes calling he will be less keen on changing suppliers because he will remember the quality you offer.
It might be that the unhappy customer has just spotted that your new ink supplier has made a mistake and if this had gone unnoticed you would have been sending out more red boxes that would have all needed replacing. By calling with his problem you may be able to nip a bigger problem in the bud.
You will often find that unhappy customers become very loyal customers. The same often goes for difficult customers. If you persevere with trying to get on with a difficult character you will often win their long term business as competitors find that they are just too hard a nut to crack.
For customers to become loyal they must perceive a quality in your product and your company. This can come though long term supply without any problems but can come a lot quicker if you can handle their problems swiftly and efficiently. The next time you get the unhappy customer calling look for the opportunity it offers in winning their loyalty.
Tom Perrett works as a pay-as-you-go Marketing Manager. He enjoys finding ways to stop clients squandering their budget on things that don`t work helps them find new ways to make their small business more profitable and live up to its potential.