You will encounter different customers every day when you run a dropshipping eCommerce shop. Unhappy customers can be a liability for any business, just as easy ones. You can’t please everyone customer, even if you do everything possible to make them happy. Customer service is a crucial part of running a business.
These social media platforms and other apps that allow you to review businesses and shops are growing in popularity. Customers can vent their anger on multiple platforms, whenever and wherever they like. They could either send you an email or, worse yet, leave a negative review. Negative reviews can cause damage to your store or brand’s reputation. You will need to be able to problem solve, respond quickly, and handle complaints correctly. Here are 15 ways to make a unhappy customer happy. These customers might become your repeat customers if you’re successful with these techniques.
Listen to your customer and get to know them.
It is best to not take any messages or comments personally. Try to understand why your customer is upset. You might not be able to change this. If you’re lucky, you might be able to change it and make it better in the future. Let them vent their frustrations without getting mad or interrupting.
Accept responsibility and apologize
It is important to listen to your customer and offer an apology. It doesn’t matter who caused your customer to be angry, this is an essential step. Even if the customer is not at fault, it is important to apologize and accept responsibility for contracted companies such as suppliers. This will set a more friendly tone and reestablish trust. To make sure your customer believes you, you need to apologize honestly.
Be compassionate and respectful
This isn’t an easy thing to do. However, it is important to maintain your cool when dealing with unhappy customers. Rudeness and disrespect will only make your customer’s day worse. To understand the perspective of your customer, you should put yourself in their shoes. Empathy can be achieved by using the right words and not focusing on your own views. Your ultimate goal is to understand your customers and decrease their anger.
Timing is everything
It is crucial to respond quickly. You will make a lasting impression on even the furious customers if you respond promptly. Keep in mind that your competition is just a click away, and you could lose a customer in an instant. A chatbot can be a great option if you don’t feel you have the ability to respond quickly or your customer service team needs help attending to multiple customers simultaneously. An automated greeting message can be used to greet the customer and ask them a question about the problem they are having. This will allow you and your team time to prepare for any questions or complaints and then start the conversation with unhappy customers.
These issues should be addressed correctly
It is best to address unhappy customers by their first name when responding to them via chat, email, or review. It will give them the feeling that they are speaking to someone real, even though chatbots can recognize names and addresses. This will allow you to establish a closer relationship with your customers. You will make them feel important and that you care about their problems.
Avoid anonymity
To make your interaction more personal, it is important to address your customers by their names. When you speak to customers, always add your name or that of a team member to the chat. Alternately, you can always add your name to any reply via social media.
Be sure to respond on all channels
Many customers, especially the most frustrated ones, will first contact you via your social media channels, before contacting you directly. You will only make matters worse if you attempt to redirect them to live chat or to get them to call you. Your team should resolve the problem within the same channel that your customer complained about.
Talk about your problems only
It is important to not bring up your business’s problems in a conversation with unhappy customers. This will make them think you don’t care about their problems or that you don’t even have one. They don’t want to hear excuses, but they do want a solution.
Find a solution
Unhappy customers want quick solutions to their problems, even though they are not satisfied. You will not be able solve all customer complaints, especially if they are beyond your control. It is best to assess the situation first and then try to offer compensation or a solution that is within your control or your business’s scope.
Request more time to solve the problem
Some problems or issues may take longer to solve than others. If you feel that you cannot come up with a satisfactory solution to your customer’s problem right now, ask politely for more time and then follow up with them. You can offer compensation or a replacement in the interim.
Follow up
If you’re asked for additional time to resolve a customer’s problem, be sure to return their call within the promised timeframe. You could endanger your reputation by not doing this. Even if the service or product was satisfactory, it is a good idea to follow up and ask for feedback. This will allow you to build a relationship with your customers and show that you care about what they think.
Handling refunds
Dropshipping can be a complicated business. Dropshipping suppliers ship the products you sell. You don’t have to deal with any returned items. Your customers may not be aware of this. If your customer is not satisfied with the product your supplier sent them, it is important to follow the supplier’s return policy. This will assure your customer that all will be well. Dropshipping suppliers should accept returned goods provided that the policy is followed. If your customer is not satisfied, you can refund them.
Keep your FAQs page up-to-date
This will help you not only resolve a problem, but also prevent them from happening again. You can provide additional information to customers on the FAQs page before or after they purchase. This page will also assist your team in responding to customer complaints quickly. It should be updated with any common problems that customers have about your products or services. This will clarify any misunderstandings before you make the purchase.
Accept constructive criticism
It is important to listen to constructive criticism and channel it to decision-makers. Customers can be listened to by customer service and provide valuable information and data for product development and sourcing. You can then improve your product offerings to meet customer needs. This can also help avoid future frustrations with products and services.
Select your customer service team carefully
Last but not the least, choosing the right people to join your customer service team is crucial for your business. They will be your first point of contact, and the voice of your brand to unhappy customers. Everything from the tone of their voice to their level of empathy can have an impact on your business. It is crucial to find the right person to answer your customers’ questions.
Conclusion
These techniques will help you keep your customers calm, and gain their trust. Customers who have had a positive experience with your company will be more likely to promote your business. Peer-to-peer and word-of-mouth are still the best and most trusted ways to spread the word about your brand.
These tips can be incorporated into your company culture to help educate customer service representatives. You will be able to prepare them for customer interaction and help maintain the integrity of your business, as well as your customers. Get the book that suits your business if you want to learn more about customer service.
