Tag: "job"
How to Turn Unhappy Customers in Lifelong Customers
Complaints and unhappy customers happen. No matter how hard to try to be perfect all the time, someone is bound to have a complaint about something.
This is not your fault, nor is it something to get upset over.
Instead, you need to focus on making it better and turning that unhappy customer into a lifelong customer.
Customers who are unhappy often just leave their complaints bottled up inside and change service providers instead. Often times, an unhappy customer is calling to complain so they can have a reason to remain a customer.
It is a comforting thought to know that a customer complaint is just another way to show that they do care about your business, your service and your products.
Give them a reason to remain a loyal and lifelong customer by providing the best possible customer service when dealing with their complaint.
So how can you salvage your relationship with an unhappy customer? Simply follow the guidelines below or check out Customer Service Profits for even more customer-service related tips on improving your business.
1. Don’t Get Mad
When a customer calls to complain, often they are angry, upset or frustrated. They may be yelling, screaming or rudely demanding you fix the problem before you even understand what the problem is.
Whatever you do, don’t let their emotional distress get in the way of your job. Remain calm, remain in control and remain level headed about the situation.
Calmly ask the customer what is wrong and assure them that you will be able to fix the problem. Use reassuring words and a relaxed tone. Answering their enquiries in a graceful manner will help them calm down and remain civil as well.
2. Personalise their Problem
This is a great trick to calm an unhappy customer down and solve the problem efficiently. What you need to do is assure your customer that you are there for him.
Use their last name. Address their problem back to them. This will help them realise that their problem is not just another complaint in a long list, but rather, it is an individual problem that deserves personalised attention and a unique solution.
3. Remember that the Customer is always Right (even when they are wrong)
You’ve heard the phrase: the customer is always right. However, sometimes the customer is clearly not right. Sometimes the customer is 100 per cent wrong.
However, it is not your job to point this out to them. Instead, it is your job to fix the situation without further damaging your relationship with the customer.
No one likes to be told they are wrong, even if they are. So, move on from this and work towards a solution that both of you can accept.
Staying graceful and in control, making personal attention a priority and ensuring the customer is always right, no matter what, will ensure that your customer hangs up or leaves the store with an intention of returning again.
After all, a happy customer is a loyal customer. And a loyal customer is what drives a successful business.
Finding Partners In Unlikely Places – Part 2
Previously, we talked about where to look for potential partners. Now, the time has come to discuss what to do with those offline affiliates once you have made that first contact. Here are some things to keep in mind.
ASSESS THE POTENTIAL FOR THE PARTNER
The fact is that not everybody is ideal for every opportunity. That means you have to establish some type of basic criteria for evaluating each potential candidate. Often, this can be accomplished by posing a few simple questions:
- Why does my program interest you?
- How many hours per week can you commit to the program?
- What do you hope to gain by your participation?
- Are you a self-starter or do you tend to need supervision?
- Do you like to learn new things?
If the responses to these questions strike you as favorable, then you will want to investigate the potential a little further.
WHAT TO SAY TO THE POTENTIAL PARTNER
One of the main things you want to do is establish a strong interest on the part of the partner. If the individual was willing to answer all the questions above, that indicate at least a rudimentary interest you can build upon. To do this, use the data you collected from the answers.
By relying on the answers provided by the potential partner, you can accomplish the following:
- Demonstrate how your program can help him or her to meet financial or personal goals
- Articulate the benefits that come with being your own boss
- Point out the advantages of earning income while building up a client base
- Identify ways that being open to learning will only maximize the potential for making a tidy profit
- Explain how your program is better than similar programs and can help the partner reach his or her goals more effectively
HANDLING OBJECTIONS
If you are doing your job right, there are not likely to be too many objections. At the same time, unless there are at least a few, that is an indicator that the potential candidate is not really paying you much attention.
No matter how good your program is in general, there are bound to be a few presented by people who are truly interested, but not quite to the point of making a commitment.
Here is what you need to do:
- Affirm the validity of the concern.
Brushing it aside instead of facing it head on as a valid concern simply sends the message that you think the candidate is an idiot. You will lose him or her at that point.
CONCLUSION
There is a lot you can do establish a good working relationship with offline partners. For more information on this and other affiliate management subjects, visit Managing Your Affiliates, where you can pick up a free report and join a free newsletter. You’ll find some great tips that will help you build solid and rewarding relationships with your partners.
Negotiating a Reasonable Salary
So what exactly is a reasonable salary? That depends on the company and their budget. A trained customer service rep (one with experience of at least two or more years) should probably be offered a higher starting salary than someone who enters with little or no experience.
The lower end of the scale for a customer service rep is around $8.00 per hour. This may be acceptable for someone who has never worked in the field before, has no college education, but appears to be willing to learn the job.
If this is around what your company can reasonably afford to pay, then you will have to hire those who need to be trained. Keep in mind that this too requires time and money on the company’s part.
However, the higher end of the scale for a customer service rep is around $12.00. While paying this amount may seem like a lot, remember that this is the high number.
It’s acceptable to start the pay of an individual who has experience at $10.00 per hour. This all depends on the candidate’s experience and background information, such as education and/or work history.
When you have decided on an amount to offer the candidate, be sure to verbally explain it to the candidate. Once you offer that amount, clearly state why they are being offered that amount (experience, education, standard starting salary, etc.) and explain the guidelines for a future advancement and pay raise. This will inform the candidate of your expectations as a company and helps set goals for the new employee.
Allow the candidate to ask questions and answer them freely – remember when you were in their shoes, you probably had the exact same questions or concerns. Afterwards, present the candidate with an official written offer. This can be done by mail or in person, but is typically handled better in a face-to-face environment. This offer should explain in detail the job requirements, conditions, pay rate, and information regarding any insurance plans or additional incentives offered by the company.
Ask the candidate to sign the offer and return it to you, and give a copy to the candidate. Keeping a signed document on file is always a smart idea in case there any future misunderstandings.
Once your candidate has been chosen and has been presented with a salary that both parties agree on, it’s time to welcome your new employee to the company. You will need to train them and turn them into a good customer service representative.
