How Do Unhappy Customers Communicate?
When a customer fires a company, it’s not like they’re going to sit down for a performance review where you can discuss ways you can improve and then get put on the tight leash of a 30-day probation period. However, customers do have a number of ways of communicating their unhappiness with a company’s service, products or personnel.
No, it’s not just firing up Yelp or other review sites and spewing out complaints, although that possibility does get a lot of attention. According to stats from Khoros, the number one thing brands think customers will do after a bad experience is write a bad review. Yet that’s not their only communication tool.
Sometimes they just stop calling. They don’t schedule future service. They may officially complain to the company in one form or another, yet they’ll also go out telling their friends and family or even post their unhappiness in their personal social media feed. Regardless, whether they vote with their feet, their reviews or their word of mouth, they make their dissatisfaction known.
Dealing with any underlying problems before word spreads can save you this customer as well as the negative impressions their experience leaves with others.
The best preparation begins with delivering excellent service and providing quality products. Be professional in setting up the appointment and scheduling the arrival time. Send technicians to the home who are trained in customer service skills as well as technical skills. And follow up after the call. The follow-up is the time especially to resolve any problems that may have occurred.
Customer satisfaction matters to your bottom line. According to Khoros, 20% of companies think customers will leave after a bad experience, yet 62% of customers say they’ll leave after a bad experience. Further, companies think that 38% of customers will tell others about a bad experience; however, customers say that 64% of them are likely to do this.