Angry Customers | What to do? How to deal?

What To Do With Criticism and Angry Customers isn’t everyone’s favorite topic, nor will it win any ‘most-jolly’ awards at this blog. But if you plan to be in business awhile, you will get some of this, so it pays to be prepared.

The below is a real email question, a variation of which arrives in my inbox consistently but irregularly. The answer that follows is excerpted from the e-course entitled ’39 Internet Marketing Lessons’ available at www.39Lessons.com.

“Andrea, I’ve heard you talk about this before, and I seem to remember loving how you’ve demonstrated how to handle hard knocks online. I actually have a really angry person right now and I admit I am really shaken up by it.

She is accusing me of sp@mming her and threaten to report me to the sp@m police! I checked and she had obviously subscribed herself but forgot and is blaming me!!

What do I do, and how do you take it all so serenely? Please repeat it if you’ve already talked about it because I think I need the reminder right now. I’m surprised how much this hurts!”

————–

Answer: Here is a bit of a philosophical answer for starters.

But note that in our organization, and any business that plans to stick around long term, has a plan for this kind of thing. Into every business a little rain will fall. So see if you can let some of these ideas soak in:

First and foremost, take it like a vitamin.

If you do business for any length of time, online or off, you will definitely make mistakes. In fact, I try to make at least a mistake a week…not cavalierly, but honestly.

What I mean by this is that I actively pursue a coaching and consulting business where I am pushing the envelope. Trying new combinations, testing models, working out kinks in new projects or just trying a new phrase in a marketing letter. For the most part, my customers know this and value this in and of itself.

Sometimes it doesn’t sit right though. So my personal policy is that real criticism of my work is like a vitamin. Not just take it on the chin, but take it like a vitamin. Let it strengthen and nourish you. See it as a glorious opportunity to fix or improve something.

Remember too that as a business owner, you have the choice to change something or not. So if someone complains about something, you don’t have to necessarily change. You just have to be ready to lose a customer if that’s the case.

McDonald’s isn’t going to change everything around because a person can’t get spaghetti there, right?

However in the case of something you do want to change, here is a sample email letter, a variation of which I’ve used on many occasions on behalf of consulting clients, and of course, occasionally for myself as well.

As with all the templates in 39Lessons, feel free to tweak this and adapt to your own business. Just be sure it suits you by ‘making it yours.’ Things ‘ring true’ online *and* off, you know.

The real live concrete template:

Dear (Name),

Nice to hear from you, and thank you for taking the time to express your unhappiness about (X).

I understand that you would be upset about this and want to sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and frustration I’ve caused. If I can, I would like to make this up to you, and wonder if you would allow me that?

What has happened in this case is (explanation of the truth of the matter) and unfortunately it has caused me to (reiteration of the problem.) What I can offer is that (possible solution, refund, or gift to make amends).

As a token of my thanks to you for bringing it to my attention, I’d like to go ahead and (action) by way of making amends. If you’d prefer not, though, be sure to let me know.

(Note: Or the last two sentences can be replaced by: Would you let me know if you would like me to Z?)

Again thanks (Name). I look forward to hearing from you and resolving this as best as possible.

Cheers,

(Name)

(Signature File)

How do you deal with angry customers? Suggestions, additions, criticisms?

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