Before you start composing a response
First, walk away if you have to, and then take a deep breath before addressing the complaint. No matter what you may be feeling, smile while you type. It will actually help with the tone of your response. Customer service and sales training suggest smiling while talking on the phone. Some telemarketing companies have gone as far as putting mirrors on employees’ desks to remind them to smile. OK, now that you are in the right mentality, let’s figure out what to say!
Sorry seems to be the hardest word
Always begin with an apology. Remember the old saying, “the customer is always right”? Well, that still applies today. You don’t have to agree that the customer’s complaint is warranted, but the bottom line is that they had a negative experience to the point where they took time to tell you about it. You can choose whether to be specific with your apology, “I apologize that you had to experience a long wait time,” or more general, “I apologize that we did not meet your expectations during your last visit with us.” Whenever possible, open the response by using their name. This will help create a personal tone in a faceless environment.
Face the complaint head on
Next you will want to briefly speak to their complaint. Customers are not looking for a long drawn out explanation of what happened from your perspective. All they want to know is that their complaint was heard and there was a reaction to the feedback. Do not make excuses! Own up to missteps and address them. For example, “Unfortunately a number of our regular customers experienced a longer wait time on Thursday due to a large visiting group. We have created a new plan of action that we believe will prevent this mistake from happening in the future.”
Open the door for return visits
Always close your response with an invitation for them to give you another chance. Sometimes it’s a great idea to offer a free drink or dessert to an unhappy customer – but not publicly, online. If you are able, we suggest making these peace offerings private when inviting the customer back. Adding contact information is the perfect opportunity to keep your customers engaged after their visit, but be careful what information you are giving out. Usually a business email or phone number is the most appropriate to post with your response.
- See more at: http://www.rewardsnetwork.com/featured/the-4-steps-to-responding-to-negative-feedback/#sthash.wsNvNuV6.dpuf