Portable Sanitation Association International

ASSOCIATIONINSIGHT Portable Sanitation Association International News BIWEEKLY EDITION JUNE 9, 2021 Page 28 What to Do When You Have Bad News for a Customer…continued from page 27 DON'T have drawn out conversations on social media. Many businesses have accepted that it is good to be transparent and open on social media. This shows current and prospective customers how ready your company is to address concerns. Keep your response simple. Say something along the lines of, "We are sorry to hear this. Please give us a call so we can work with you on a solution"—and stop at one interaction on social media. A recent press release that summarizes an upcoming study in the Journal of Marketing quotes one of the researchers as saying, "We recommend that managers avoid long interactions about customer complaints on social media to reduce complaint publicity." If you know who's complaining, contact him or her and offer to have a real conversation about the issue. DO bring solutions to the customer instead of problems. To make your customer happy—versus grudgingly having to accept your bad news—come prepared with a set of potential fixes. If a customer wants something that you can't deliver or can't get, don't just say, "We can't do that." Suggest other inventory or other solutions that might meet their needs. Offer a compromise if there is one. Working with the customer will show them that you are trying to help and they will find it easier to see your side of the issue. If you shut them down, they are more likely to be more demanding, harder to work with, and to say negative things about your company. DON'T say: "I know how you feel." Let's say your customer is hosting an outdoor wedding and the guest list has grown so large, they need another restroom trailer. Of course, this news has come in when the ordered trailer is already being placed, and there's simply not another trailer in a five-state area. Many field service employees would be tempted to say: "I know how you feel" in an effort to make the customer feel better, but nothing could be worse. Not only have you said "I"—my first big DON'T—but unless you are a bride who's had her plans disrupted by last minute guests, a demanding future mother-in-law, and potential bad weather, you don't know how she feels. The statement will sound like a disingenuous tactic to pacify her, or just patronizing, which only adds to her frustration. Instead, mirror back what you hear the customer saying. You could say: "You're right. This is bad timing for a restroom trailer shortage, and you must be so frustrated. Let me see if we can find some alternatives for you." This validates the customer's feelings and helps them be more willing to work with you to come up with a solution. While they may not want to rent the trailer you have or want the units with the color scheme that doesn't match their wedding décor, you are offering solutions. Remember these DOs and DON'Ts when unexpected problems arise. Of course, your best judgment and knowledge of each unique situation is the most essential tool. Customers are very important, and dismissing even one is a bad business practice. Whatever you may feel about individual customers, it won't help if they talk trash about your company. Even if someone walks away from doing business with you right now, using these tips will at least have them leaving with the best possible impression of your company. These days, that may be the biggest win you can get.

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