When you deal with people, there comes a point when you realize that you cannot please every one of your customers all of the time. They might get angry, but they are still your customers. The more prepared for it, the better the outcome for you and your customers.”

The old adage that the customer is always right – is wrong. The customer is not always right – and some might go so far as to say, they are rarely right. But that is not the issue. The issue is that they are always your customer, and so right or wrong, you need to resolve their problem as quickly and completely as possible. Read more about BritainReviews.

Here are a few ideas that have proven to be worthy of your consideration:

1. Stop talking – start listening.

This is difficult for people who are on the receiving end of a rant. It is natural human behavior to want to defend yourself when you are the target of an angry tirade – particularly if you are not directly to blame for whatever went wrong. Resist the urge to fire back – and let the customer get off their chest whatever it is that they perceive as the problem. It really helps if you get on their eye level. If they are sitting, pull up a chair and sit with them.

2. Accept responsibility – always.

Yes, even if the customer is wrong, and they have their facts messed up, and the product that they are returning wasn’t purchased at your establishment… Tell them, “I am so sorry for your experience, and I am willing to help make it right. What may I do to take care of this situation to your satisfaction?” Oh sure – we hear you… but it’s not your fault. Got it. Put that in the rearview, and apologize nonetheless. It’s not about you.

3. Listen – again.

After asking the customer how you can make it right, stop talking again and exercise your listening skills. Chances are great that they will tell you exactly what they want you to do. Chances are even greater that whatever they tell you will be FAR less expensive than losing the lifetime value of that customer. So give it to them. If they seek an exchange – give it to them. If they want their money back – give it to them. We have a friend in top-level mall management. She says to all of her staff, “If there’s a problem – solve it. Give them whatever they want. Because if it has to go through all of you to get to me – you can be assured I am going to give them whatever they want! Bypass the process, and solve the issue early for our customers.”

4. Go the extra mile.

Okay, so now you’ve listened to them, accepted responsibility, offered to let them tell you how to fix it, and followed through with that solution. You’re not done yet. Oh no. Now you need to go the extra mile, and implement Extreme Customer Service. Now you need to exceed their expectations, and blow them away as if they were your favorite customer… because they ARE! No one in business can afford to treat any customer as if they were, “disposable”. Each and every customer should be treated as if they were your only customer… and that makes them your favorite! Offer a free something or other. Give them a month’s membership. Refund their money AND offer them a complimentary dessert.

Look, there’s an old saying, “you never get a second chance to make a first impression.” While that may be true, it is equally true that if you make right a situation gone wrong – and then go the extra mile by exceeding the customer’s expectations – you stand a great chance of winning over the most loyal customer you’ve ever had. That customer will out-perform all of your marketing efforts as they bring their friends, relatives, associates, network and yes – even their customers, to do business with you!

The moral of this story is not to create a negative situation with the intent to fix it for a miffed customer. Rather, when a customer expresses his or her dissatisfaction with your product or service – agree with them to the point of solution. In this way, you will build your business – even when things aren’t 100{c5b972b850db0f5886b424322b61a72a93d30c6b4336efbf14d5379faed8d2b3} perfect.