It’s bound to happen sooner or later. Something goes wrong, things don’t happen the way they’re supposed to, and suddenly you’ve got an unhappy customer.
You can rely on 5 R’s to deliver apologies that count, and help you hold on to a dissatisfied customer.
Here’s a quick summary:
RECOGNITION – Acknowledge that a mistake has been made. And NOT by the customer! The surest way to lose a customer is to tell them the mix-up was their fault.
RESPONSIBILITY - Take ownership of the error. After all, you’re happy to take credit when things go right, aren’t you? Don’t think of it as blame; think of it as accountability.
REMORSE – Go ahead and say it: “I’m sorry.” It can go a long way. Most of all, when you say it, you have to mean it. Without an apology, there will be no ongoing relationship with the customer.
RESTITUTION - Make a good-faith effort to set things straight. Without that, your apology is just a bunch of words. A good tactic is to come up with two or three options for your customer, and let him or her indicate a preference.
REPETITION – The most important thing a customer wants to know is that this won’t happen again. Assure the customer that it won’t, and then take the steps necessary to make sure it doesn’t. Best of all, tell the customer exactly what you’ll be doing to prevent a reoccurrence.
Be Blessed
April 7, 2010
Brandons Gift Shoppe
