Transcription
Customers have a surprisingly high tolerance for services that don't quite meet their expectations, but they have a low tolerance for companies that don't bother to listen when things go wrong.
If a customer is disappointed about your products or services, then they're engaging with you to fix the problem. It's your responsibility to seize the opportunity and act on it.
The sales guy said this was easy to clean. Well, I've read the instructions three times, and I can't get the thing open! This type of feedback is invaluable and must be acted upon immediately.
It may be that your sales or marketing departments are over-promising. Perhaps the product is defective or maybe your staff have unintentionally painted a different picture in the customer's mind. Whatever the situation, a disappointed customer has highlighted a weakness in your organization. They've helped you, and for that, they should be thanked.
"Can you thank you for letting me know? It's a new product and obviously we need to make some changes to the cleaning instructions. I'm going to have our service manager talk you through it right now, and I'll send you a gift voucher in the mail for bringing the issue to our attention."
A business that over-promises and under-delivers is a business that won't be around in the long term. When you're faced with a disappointed customer, ensure you act quickly to solve the problem and then pass the information on to those in the organization who can ensure the problem doesn't occur again.