Some of the best advice I’ve ever received is that when a client complains it gives you the best opportunity to make a vastly more loyal client. This was a hard concept for me to initially get my head around – because the first step was for me to stop dreading complaints. I had to change my mindset so that if a complaint came in, I was excited by the challenge of creating a more loyal client rather than just disappointed that someone was unhappy.
You see, when a client is satisfied – they won’t give you negative feedback, they won’t make complaints, but they also won’t be so inspired by you that they’ll be out there doing your marketing for you by talking you up to everyone they meet.
On the other hand – if a client complains – you’ve got a dissatisfied client right? Now if you can just get your head around starting to think to yourself “Great!” every time you get a dissatisfied client you’ll be on the right track. Now I’m not advocating making more dissatisfied clients! But in any business there are going to be some people who aren’t happy. That’s any business from your local store to Microsoft – would you agree?
Now if you handle a complaint in such a way that you completely knock their socks off and they’re blown away with the attention you’ve given to resolving that complaint – you have the opportunity to create something far more valuable than a satisfied client. You have the opportunity to create a mobile marketing machine for you and your company. You have the opportunity to create someone who is such a committed client of yours that they love you but not only that – they feel the need to tell others just how great you are.
In my new audio program Interaction Enhancement we talk about the fact that by enhancing every interaction you have with a client – yes even a complaint – you have the opportunity to create an advocate who is a “Strategic Weapon of Mass Persuasion”. By that I mean that if you can impact on that one client enough – they’ll go out there and persuade others for you! Word of mouth marketing is so powerful and free. Could you ask for more?
Beware! Word of mouth marketing is so successful that in your local supermarket – marketers have picked up on this tactic and the stranger shopping beside you remarking on just how clean her dishes get with this detergent could be a plant by the marketing department of that company! If it’s good enough for some companies to pay actors to go out and do it – why not try and get more of it in your line of work for free when a client comes to you with a complaint? I challenge you the next time you get a complaint to give yourself an imaginary high 5. Here is someone saying to you: “I care enough to tell you I’m not happy” and “I care enough to give you an opportunity to fix this problem”. They’re screaming at you to make them into a more loyal client. The alternative is the client who doesn’t give you the opportunity and immediately starts working as a Strategic Weapon of Mass Persuasion to the public in a negative way! I certainly know which I’d prefer.
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