Five things you should never say to a customer

July 30, 2013 – Find out five things that Marc Gordon recommends to never tell an angry customer.

July 30, 2013 – No matter how great you treat your customers, at some point one of them
is going to find fault. And when they express their displeasure, the
response they get will be the true test of your company’s customer
service policies.

Here are five responses that many businesses are guilty of giving to angry customers, but shouldn’t.

1. “That’s our policy.” Nothing sends a customer over the edge like
being told the decision to not provide satisfaction was made before they
even came in. Treat every complaint as a unique situation. And instead
of telling them what you CAN’T do, tell them what you CAN do.

2. “No one else has complained.” This puts the onus on the customer to
defend their complaint. If they care enough to tell you they’re unhappy
with your product or service, then you should care enough to listen.

3. “You’re wrong.” We all know the customer may not always be right, but
there’s no need to tell them that. Graciously take the blame or
politely explain what you can do – even if it’s not much ¬– to make the
situation better.

4. “It’s not our fault.” The customer doesn’t care if it’s your fault.
They only care how you can help them. So don’t expect a sympathetic ear
when you talk about an unreliable supplier.

5. “Come back when the manager is in.” If your staff don’t have the
authority to appease an angry customer, then at least give them the
authority to manage the situation. Have them get all relevant
information from the customer and forward it to the right person. Then
make sure that person promptly follows up with the customer.

Marc Gordon is a professional speaker and marketing expert. Get more
business tips on his website, marcgordon.ca and his online show,
marctv.net.