[Small Business Success]: How To Take Care Of An Upset Customer

Have you ever had an upset customer in your business?

Don’t lie!

Every small business, even mine, gets a customer every once in a while who is not happy. Most small business owners run in fear when a customer complains.

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While I never want an upset customer, I view it as a gift – a gift to really see my business from my customer’s point of view (and that’s what ultimately matters anyway right?). I learn so much about my business – what’s broken, and where/how I can improve. I train my team to consider an upset customer their opportunity to shine.

I once interviewed a potential employee who had a great sales background about her experience in dealing with customers.  I asked her, “What kind of training did you get in how to take care of an upset customer?”

I thought I would learn something from the inside of this “successful” sales person.

She answered, “I didn’t get any training in taking care of upset customers, but I do know how to ask a customer to get their credit card three times during the sale.”  As Charles Brown would say, “Good Grief”.

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In my coffee & smoothie business we have the “Get Lei’d and Smile Guarantee”. The guarantee basically says if you’re not happy, you don’t pay – anything. I’ve never had anyone ask me to honor that guarantee, but that doesn’t mean that we’ve never had a customer who just wasn’t 100% thrilled for one reason or another. That’s why I train all of my staff on the LEAR system, and you should too.

Here is the LEAR principle:

L is for Listen.  Listen and don’t interrupt.  There are a lot of reasons not to interrupt.  We don’t interrupt because, number one, it’s rude. Another reason is that when we’re upset, you and I and everyone else do the exact same thing, we practice what we’re going to say.  And we practice what we’re going to say from the beginning.  So if you interrupt, you’re probably just going to have to listen to the whole thing all over again from the beginning.  Then of course we listen to the client because we respect the client and know that they are, in fact, the boss.  They pay all of our bills.  They give us every raise we’ll ever get.  They pay for our kids’ education and for everything we own.

E is for Empathize.  Empathize means, to put ourselves in their shoes. Say something like, ‘Wow, I understand why you’re upset, I’d be upset too’, or ‘I’m sure glad you told me that so we can do something about it.” Or simply, ‘Thanks for telling me.’

A is for Ask.  Ask, “What can I do to Make You Happy?”  Now most of the time you don’t actually have to ask, “What can I do to Make You Happy?”  It is often obvious.  But, sometimes you will want to ask, “What can I do to Make You Happy?”  The main thing though, is the idea and your attitude of “What can I do to Make You Happy?”  It’s your job is to make the client happy.

R is for RESOLVE.  You will want to give your team members guidelines as to what they can and can’t do right then and there to make the client happy.  If what the client wants is reasonable, and it is within the guidelines that you give, your team member needs to make the client happy.  Train them to take care of the client right then and there.

Implement the LEAR principle in your business and continually train and role play so your staff are confident in handling upset customers.

About Stacey Riska

Stacey Riska, aka “Small Business Stacey” is a serial entrepreneur who is passionate about saving small business and rebuilding Main Street. She helps small and local business owners become a #SmallBizMarketingWiz by teaching them marketing strategies that get MORE: MORE leads, MORE customers/clients, MORE sales, and MORE money. Stacey is the founder of Small Biz Marketing Specialist, THE go-to place for marketing tips, techniques and strategies that get results. Stacey is also the creator of the Daily Deals for Massive Profits Training Program, an online video training program that teaches small and local business owners how to use daily deal sites like Groupon to skyrocket their business growth and get massive profits. In this program she teaches from experience, as it was the key strategy that transformed her coffee and smoothie business from being $500K in debt to a 7-figure profitable business. When not saving the small business world, she enjoys sipping red wine, eating chocolate (who doesn’t!) and spending time with her amazing husband.