Delighting a Disappointed Customer
I have written previously that one way to turn a negative customer experience into a positive one is to ease the customer's inconvenience. To do that an employee needs to assess what inconvenience the problem is causing and what action can be taken to relieve it.
Sometimes a problem a customer has with either the store or a product results in disappointment more than an actual inconvenience. One of the differences between an average staff and a GREAT one is the ability to pick up on a customer's disappointment and then take action that will turn disappointment into delight.
Some customers complain when they're disappointed but most don't. They may make a comment but not a complaint. Retailers who are focused on delighting a disappointed customer will hear those comments and can then take action to delight them, resulting in the customer being more loyal and an advocate. There's probably no better customer advocate than a disappointed customer who has been delighted.
As an example, my wife recently ordered something online since she couldn't find it locally. When placing the order she was informed that the product was not in stock but would likely ship in four or five days. Since she really wanted it she went ahead and finalized the order. She was disappointed she had to wait but it wasn't a major inconvenience. Two days later she received an email that the product was now in stock and they were "upgrading" her order to a faster shipping option at no additional charge. She was delighted! For a small additional expense this company has turned my wife into a loyal customer and advocate.
Here are some other opportunities that may enable you to delight a disappointed customer. Say a customer casually mentions that he was disappointed with something he bought from you on a previous visit. A lot of retail employees won't even notice that the customer is voicing his disappointment since he's not really complaining. GREAT employees will catch it and do what they can to delight the customer. If the product wasn't purchased a long time ago they might offer to take it back or at least contact the manufacturer for them.
But what if it was bought three, five, or more years ago or wasn't even purchased from that retailer? That's still a great opportunity to delight the customer. Maybe the customer could be offered 10-20% off on a replacement, or if the product is broken the retailer can offer to ship it in for repair. There's always an opportunity to delight a disappointed customer.
Another common occurrence is when a customer tells you in conversation that she missed a sale or is disappointed that a particular product is out of stock. If you're not authorized to give her the sale price you could take her name and contact information and contact her when the product goes back on sale or is once again in stock. Believe me, your call will result in a delighted customer. There's always an opportunity to delight a disappointed customer.
If a customer has to leave the store because of her children you could offer to call her and take an order over the phone or schedule an appointment before the store opens. Or if a customer expresses his disappointment but wants a refund you could give him a discount on his next purchase. There's always an opportunity to delight a disappointed customer.
Coming up with the right action to take is the easy part. The challenging part is to actually hear disappointment that may be implied rather than clearly stated. I guarantee that if you listen for it, you'll hear it, and if you take action, your customer will reward you with future sales and additional customers. Sounds like a win-win to me!
Remember, there's always an opportunity to delight a disappointed customer. Are you hearing and delighting yours?
