customer
E-Commerce and digital sales have increased their prominence due to the health crisis caused by COVID-19, the high demand for dispatches and management has been saturated and with it, the number of claims. Just as it affects companies that sell products online, so do we, and it is from that position and experience that we want to leave you tips and recommendations to lead an empathic conversation, totally from honesty.
The scenario is the following: your customers buy a product “blindly” without having it in their hands, they leave their money and trust in the management, that generates sensitivity regarding any error along the way that can light a spark that is difficult to extinguish if not handled properly.
“The customer is always right”
109 years of history has this phrase that we have all ever heard. There is no doubt that no business can survive without customers, but they are not always right. This is where you must be clear about the following points to know how to have a good, healthy, and effective conversation with them.
Relief Factor
Allow the client to express his frustration and anger: giving him space so that he can do it is essential to start solving his problem (clearly he must have a reason). Research the facts, review, and follow up to engage in the dialogue.
Empathize and understand
It is important to remain calm as a deterrent method, being empathetic with the problem will allow us to turn the conversation to find solutions, to reach agreements, we do not want to argue with them, we want to be effective in the solution. Reassure your client and honestly tell him that your intentions are in search of resolutions and that you want to help him.
Tune in with your customer
If you managed to advance with the previous point, and you were able to reach it with a good attitude and disposition, you are already tuned in to your problem, you will be able to work on resolutions, achieving a positive change compared to the initial one in communication with your client. It is important to be real and to be transparent that you can make mistakes, but that you are waiting to deliver solutions.
It’s time to take action!
The spirits have already calmed down, it’s time to take action to give your customers effective responses. But first remember: maintain fluid communication with your suppliers so that the client does not have a range of different responses.
- The real solution: Be honest, tell him the source of the problem and how you are solving it. If you don’t have a concrete answer, acknowledge it and tell him that you are going to work on it. Of course, it cannot be left in a “blah”, because a patch can cause another communication crisis.
- Offers and discounts: While you are working upside down to fix the underlying problem, offer a special compensation or discount to enjoy your products. Remember that the most effective Marketing is “word of mouth”, and we do not want it to be negative. This technique could buffer in the meantime to improve the user experience.From our logistics provider window, we always seek to take care of our clients’ clients, managing solutions, and trying not to leave them to see in their messages on our channels. This circle of communication is important because ultimately the recipient does not have to pay the price for mistakes. Did your shipment have a problem? While you manage, prepare a new office, reply to his messages and tell him how you are going to help him. From that point, we know that many times for SMEs it can be difficult to apply these practices due to the resource factor, but you can give them away with details such as free shipping, a 5% discount, or a gift product.
- Stay in touch: Nothing worse than making you feel forgotten, communicate proactively with your clients, tell them what status of the claim you are working on, and if there is anything else you can help them with, make it clear that your communication channels will always be at your disposal.
- Deliver on your promises: If we are to establish a relationship of trust with customers, we must ensure that we deliver what we promise. Be careful, do not promise the impossible, if you already had a bad experience, the expectation is now much higher, so make sure you can fulfill your promises of dates, compensation, and resolutions.
The high demand for requests and claims due to contingency is hard and critical, that is why honesty is important in the face of problems that may arise. Having a kind, respectful, and conciliatory attitude will help you establish a much more powerful and lasting relationships over time.
We know that automatic responses are fundamental support to manage requests, but many times they can also turn into a bad user experience. Humanize your brand, empathize and treat your customers as you would like them to treat you if you have a problem.
This is not a magic formula, try, test, and check what works best for your company.
