06/ 07/ 2007
If you get your news online or keep up with a business blog or two, you've may have read about blogger/consumer Terry Heaton and his recent empty-box experience. If not, you can read about it at http://www.churchofthecustomer.com/blog/2007/06/anatomy_of_a_we.html.
Basically in the span of about four days, Heaton made a purchase, found out the box was empty, was refused a refund by top management and blogged about his experience. Then his story made national news in the mainstream media—coverage the offending retailer probably wasn't happy about.
Why didn't the retailer just say "I'm sorry" and make it right in the first place?
Good question.
This scenario is played out every day, all over the country, but it rarely makes national headlines. Although it may not be as severe as an empty box where a camera should be, bad experiences do happen in businesses. And knowledge of a bad experience may not always make its way to top management. Perhaps a customer gets a cold, undercooked steak at a restaurant and never says a word. Or maybe a customer isn't pleased with the job that a car wash did on his new truck, but drives it home without complaining.
As a small-business owner, you do everything you can to make your customer and client experience a great one. But what if you fall short? What if the meal was cold or a popular item was sold out, or there was a stain on a shirt? You don't make excuses. You make it right. You say "I'm sorry."
Here are five ways you can show you're sorry, along with saying those two small—but important—words:
- If a meal at your restaurant wasn't just right: Make it right and offer a discount on the total bill.
- If a popular item is out of stock: Offer a rain check or a discount on a similar item.
- If you are a dry cleaner and damage an item: Offer to replace the piece. If a price can't be agreed upon, offer a couple of items to be cleaned at no charge.
- If a hotel or inn room is not available at the promised time: Offer a complimentary breakfast during the guest's stay or upgrade his room.
- If a customer gets home and isn't completely happy with the haircut from your salon or barbershop: Offer to fix it for free at his convenience. You might even throw in a free bottle of shampoo when he returns.
Your parents and your kindergarten teacher taught you the importance of many words, including "thank you," "please" and "you're welcome." "I'm sorry" was probably in that group, too. So when a problem occurs, or a customer or client isn't as happy as you know you could make them, simply say "I'm sorry" and fix it. It could be the difference between one happy customer and one damaging blog entry.
