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Here\u2019s the scenario: You smile as you unlock the front door <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Welcome <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n We <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n The <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Understand <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n That <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n If <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n 1. <\/b>Allow Let\u2019s say a customer brings you a problem you can fix in When customers are unhappy about something, they tend to <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n @<\/b> Offer your hand and introduce <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n @<\/b> Listen carefully and attentively to <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n @<\/b> Apologize, even if you are not the Instead <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n 2. <\/b>Ask When you ask questions, people think you care about them, @<\/b> Open-ended questions require the customer to talk \u2013 and <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n @<\/b> Smile, make eye contact, and nod as <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n 3. Ask We once witnessed a heated exchange between a store manager and <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n @<\/b> Most customers are not unreasonable; <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n @ <\/b>Take responsibility: <\/span>If it\u2019s a problem you can fix on the spot, <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n 4. <\/b>Go That <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n 5. <\/b>Follow According <\/span><\/p>\n Don\u2019t <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Make Customers don\u2019t expect you to be
\nof your store ready to greet the hordes of happy customers who will visit you today.
\nThen reality hits you smack in the face when a cheesed off customer demands
\nsatisfaction.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\nto Retailing circa 2025. Everyone’s in a bad mood.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\nare a product of the world that we live in. We\u2019re all time-starved and
\nstressed-out. Mom\u2019s working, Dad\u2019s working, the kids are in day care, the
\nbigger one\u2019s are in school. At the end of the work day, it\u2019s a mad rush to get
\nSuzie to Girl Scouts and Timmy to basketball. Never mind that you\u2019re tired, you
\nstill have to make dinner and do laundry, not to mention help the kid\u2019s with
\ntheir homework before you can finally relax. No wonder we\u2019re cranky.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\nthing is those cranky customers can be anyone \u2013 we\u2019ve all been not-so-nice customers
\nat one time or another. Most are just nice people who are having a really bad
\nday; you just happen to be the one they decide to take their frustrations out
\non. If you\u2019re in the retail business, then unhappy customers are a daily fact
\nof life. When faced with one you can choose to react or to respond. If you merely
\nreact, the customer will most likely stay unhappy, but if you choose to respond
\nin a concerned and professional manner you can turn that lion of a customer
\ninto a loyal lamb. And you may just avoid a bad online review.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\nthat an angry customer may be reacting to what they imagine <\/i>will happen when they present you with a problem. This is
\npart of the emotional baggage every customer brings with them to your store. We\u2019ve
\nall faced snarling store associates who treat customers\u2019 like the enemy \u2013 if a
\ncustomer has had a bad experience in one of your competitor\u2019s stores, it\u2019s easy
\nto see why they might think they will have a similar experience in yours.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\nbeing said, if the customer is a complete jerk, do yourself a big favor and get
\nhim\/her off of the sales floor and into an area where you can speak privately. If
\nyou stay on the sales floor, where other customers can watch, you\u2019d better be
\nprepared to deliver service perfection, because how you respond will be the
\ntopic of the day on Facebook and Instagram and TikTok.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\nthe customer is abusive or is using foul language say, \u201cI am going to help you,
\nbut I cannot help you if you continue to speak to me like that.\u201d <\/span>If the customer calms down, continue with the
\nsteps below to solve their problem, but if the customer continues to berate
\nyou, it is perfectly okay to say, \u201cI really do want to help you, but I need you
\nto calm down. If you do so I can help you now, otherwise we will have to do
\nthis another time.\u201d <\/span>You can also try politely
\nturning the customer over to another associate. Under \u201cnormal\u201d circumstances
\nthe following five steps should do the trick:<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\nthe customer to get the problem off of their chest.<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
<\/span><\/p>\n
\ntwo seconds flat. Resist the urge to save the day, instead let the customer
\nblow off steam.<\/span><\/p>\n
<\/span><\/p>\n
\nrehearse what they are going to say over and over <\/span>and over <\/i>on the way to your store. By the time they get there, their
\nanger is at its peak. If you try to fix the problem without first letting the
\ncustomer vent, they are likely to wait for a break in the conversation and
\nbegin to tell his story all over again. So\u2026<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\nyourself. Using the customer\u2019s name tends to have a calming effect.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nthe customer\u2019s entire story and don\u2019t
\ninterrupt! <\/i>Stay calm \u2013 you set the tone for the rest of the conversation.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\ncause of the problem. This shows the customer you are on their side. If you
\nsay, \u201cGee, this is a great product, we\u2019ve never had this happen before.\u201d the
\ncustomer hears, \u201cYou moron. Didn\u2019t you read the directions?\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\nsay, \u201cI am so sorry that you are upset. Let me see <\/span>what I can do to solve this problem.\u201d Or \u201cI
\nam really sorry this happened to you. I can understand why you are frustrated.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\nlots of questions to help determine what you should do next.<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
<\/span><\/p>\n
\nand they will respond more positively. Ask the customer <\/span>Open-Ended Questions<\/b> that cannot be answered by a simple \u201cyes\u201d or
\n\u201cno\u201d.<\/span> <\/span>You might say, \u201cWhen did you first
\nnotice this problem?\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
<\/span><\/p>\n
\nthat\u2019s a good thing \u2013 because the talking helps the customer to slow down and
\nrefocus.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nthe customer tells their story.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\nthe customer what they would like you to do for them.<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
<\/span><\/p>\n
\na customer who was trying to return a defective shop vac. The stone-faced
\nmanager was too busy defending the product to focus on the customer. The
\nmanager wasn\u2019t giving an inch, and the customer looked like she was ready to
\nthrow the vacuum through the window. Finally, in a sarcastic tone of voice, the
\nmanager asked the customer what she\u2019d like him to do. She sighed and replied
\nthat she wanted to exchange the defective vacuum for one that worked. The
\nmanager was taken aback. What did he expect she was going to ask for? His first
\nborn child?<\/span><\/p>\n
\nthey just want you to fix the problem. Ask, \u201cWhat would you like me to do for
\nyou today?\u201d, then tell the customer exactly what you are going to do on their
\nbehalf.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\nthen fix it. If the problem will require further action on your part, then
\nexplain which steps you will take, and tell the customer when you will get back
\nto them. And make sure that you follow through!<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\na step further and \u201cDo one more thing\u201d for the customer.<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
<\/span><\/p>\n
\n\u201cone more thing\u201d is an olive branch that you offer in good faith. It doesn\u2019t
\nmatter what you offer, it\u2019s the gesture that counts. <\/span>A
\n$5.00 gift card, a free class or even an inexpensive gift will work wonders.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\nup to make sure the customer is satisfied.<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
<\/span><\/p>\n
\nto The Technical Assistance Research Programs Institute (TARP), up to 70% of
\nunhappy customers will do business with you again, and up to 95% will return if
\nyou fix the problem quickly. It\u2019s to your benefit to follow-up. A simple call, text,
\nor better yet, a handwritten note will do the trick.<\/span><\/p>\n
\ntake it personally! Sometimes that\u2019s easier said than done, but remember you
\nare not the cause of the customer\u2019s frustration \u2013 don\u2019t expect to win them all.
\nDo your best not to let an angry customer ruin your entire day or affect the
\nnext customer.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\nsure that everyone in your organization understands how to work with an unhappy
\ncustomer. Host a staff meeting using this article as the agenda. Ask your
\nassociates to think of a situation they had with an unhappy customer, then ask what
\nthey did to solve the problem. Encourage suggestions on what the associate could
\nhave done differently. Think up some off-the-wall scenarios of your own and see
\nhow your associates solve them. Ask one associate to be the customer, and another
\nto be the associate. Role play is a great way to get the point across.<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\nperfect, but they do expect you to fix things when they go wrong. Solving their
\nproblems is proof that your store is a trusted partner. It\u2019s that trust that
\nwill keep them coming back for more.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n