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Turning Customer Mistakes Into Raving Fans
When you make a mistake with a customer, should you write them off as lost -- never to return again? Nope. There have been numerous studies which show that a customer who has had a problem and gotten it resolved in a timely manner and to their satisfaction is a more loyal customer than one who has never had a problem. I've found that to be true too. One of my biggest fans is a customer who started out on slippery footing. She's been a repeat customer for three years now. From a situation that could have been a disaster to one that ended up being great, our response as business people gives us the control to turn that customer into a "raving fan." So how do you turn a lemony situation into lemonade in your business? - Use the human touch. Pick up the phone and connect. Don't try to tame a rough situation using email. You'll lose. - Offer a special gift or extra compensation on your product or service. That could be a valuable add on product or a free month's service. - Ask the customer what it would take to make them happy. You'll find that it's normally something you can accommodate very easily. About the Author Denise O'Berry frequently speaks to professional organizations, is the author of three booklets, and several "how-to" manuals. She writes a weekly small business column, hosts an online small business owners forum and is called upon regularly by publications such as Entrepreneur, Bank Rate Small Business, Florida Trend, Inc., various newspapers, radio and television to provide expert comments on small business issues. http://www.whatspossible.com
MORE RESOURCES: NBAA Unveils Customer Service Training Certification Program Aviation International News Hassan and Marshall legislation to improve government customer service signed into law Nashua Telegraph AT&T Unveils Industry-First Service Guarantee with Automatic Bill Credits for Network Outages StockTitan How ACI Worldwide is deploying AI Payments Dive Infographic: How Simon Roofing Improved Its Customer Service with Microsoft Dynamics 365 MSDynamicsWorld CSPI & Nutrition Action Customer Service CSPI Newsroom What Keeps Healthcare CIOs Up at Night: Balancing Technology Investments with Consumer Expectations MedCity News SIGNED INTO LAW: Senators Hassan and Marshall’s Bipartisan Legislation to Improve Government Customer Service Maggie Hassan Oracle and NVIDIA Join Forces to Drive AI Innovation in Bank FinTech Magazine AT&T Unveils First & Only Customer-First Promise Across Both Wireless & Fiber Networks; Plus, Customer Care & Deals Canada NewsWire Valvoline Ranked Among Best in Customer Service AftermarketNews.com (AMN) What’s the future for customer service and hospitality in coffee? Perfect Daily Grind Cents Launches Cents Assist, the First AI-Powered Call Center Built for Laundry Businesses PR Newswire Arrest of AT&T rep highlights why it's important to always double-check what you agree to Android Authority Ace proves it’s the place for topnotch customer service InMaricopa.com SailPoint Recognized as a 2024 Gartner Peer Insights™ Customers’ Choice for Identity Governance and Administration Business Wire Banglalink launches AI-based customer service chatbot Telecompaper EN NorthStar Moving Ranked #1 Moving Company for Customer Service in Newsweek's 2025 List The Manila Times Vontier’s Driivz extends its offering to provide Call Center and Network Operation Center (NOC) Services GlobeNewswire Is a hybrid AI-human model the key to superior customer service? Interesting Engineering As the cost of living bites, good customer service becomes priceless Region Illawarra My experience as a Customer Service and Sales Intern Toby Shapiro's Experience at A.D. Sutton and Sons Chapman University Customer Service & Support Hillsborough County (.gov) Sprout Social launches 2025 index Marketing Beat America's Best Customer Service 2025 Newsweek Celebrate Customer Service Week City of Riverside, California (.gov) Fulton County Recognized as a 2024 National Customer Service All Star Fulton County Government Welcome to Riverside Public Utilities City of Riverside, California (.gov) Customer Assistance Programs DC Water Attorney General Bonta Demands Better Customer Service for Californians California Department of Justice 8 strategies for using AI for customer service in 2024 Sprout Social Sysdig earns top accolade in Gartner customer choice 2024 SecurityBrief Australia Shep Hyken, HPU Customer Service Expert, Mentors Students and Staff High Point University 11 key elements of excellent customer service Business.com Department of Transportation | Department of Transportation Governor Tom Wolf Can artificial intelligence rescue customer service? The Economist I CARE VA.gov Home | Veterans Affairs SUN Bucks: Pennsylvania’s Summer EBT program Governor Tom Wolf Updated Customer Service Hours - Several Departments Downtown Riley County Official Website What Your Business Can Learn From Southwest Airlines Business.com Conway Corp employees win MACTA Customer Service awards Log Cabin Democrat Office of Developmental Programs Governor Tom Wolf Contact Us - Yosemite National Park (U.S. National Park Service) National Park Service BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE Forbes bizfile California Secretary of State IRS Should Ensure Customer Service Enhancements Are Accessible for Taxpayers with Disabilities National Taxpayer Advocate Banglalink launches AI chatbot for customer service newagebd.net View/Pay Your Utility Bill City of Tucson Social Security Is Improving Our National 800 Number and Reducing Call Wait Times Social Security Matters RTX's Pratt & Whitney Expands India Operations with Customer Service Center in Bengaluru Raytheon Technologies Fare-Free Service for Customer Appreciation and Try Transit Week charlottenc.gov Video Quick Take: Intercom’s Brian Donahue on How AI Customer Service Agents Are Delivering Massive Value HBR.org Daily Top 6 social media customer service tools for your brand Sprout Social |
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