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Casual Articles - Dealing With Customer Complaints - B.L.A.S.T
Few building owners enjoy speaking to a salesperson. However, some of these same owners make the ordeal a financial and professional nightmare by going into the process unprepared.Keep in mind that the salesperson is paid on commission. If you don’t hire their company, they aren’t paid. So, many salespeople will say and do almost anything to get your business. Basically, they are the ‘hunter’ and you are the ‘hunted’.And, to make matters worse, the ‘hunted’ (you) often times help the hunter (the salesperson) land their prey, resulting in a nice size commission check for them.Here are some of the common mistakes Business Owner make while dealing with a janitorial salesperson.1. Letting them know that you are clueless to what it cost
When the customer is done venting; in a calm, non-judgmental tone, repeat their problem. An example I used in my KFC for a mispacked order:
"What I hear you saying is that, you came in ordered and paid for 10 Pieces of chicken and when you got home, you only received 8, is that correct?"
By repeating the problem at hand, you've demonstrated your ability to the custom
Marketing experts the world over have all preached at some time that the business card is a small businesses most important marketing tool. The majority of business cards handed out fail to impress and make a lasting mark on our customers. The confidence that a well-designed stylish business card can give you in any market cannot be over stated enough.Business cards use dates back hundreds of years initially as personal calling cards, and more recently as business marketing tools. Almost all forms of marketing has been transformed by the arrival of computers and Internet technology, business cards however remain the tool of choice for many situations.This article focuses on how as a designer or a marketing entrepreneur the steps you should take to
Handling customer complaints doesn't have to always be a battle, with the right tools and responses you can use complaints to your advantage; to help you build your business. B.L.A.S.T is a great tool that is used by companies such as Yum! (Parent company of KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, A&W, and Long John Silvers). Training their employees in the basics of handling customer complaints. The acronym stands for:
Believe
Listen
Apologize
Satisfy
Thank
How does your company deal with customer complaints? The easiest way to find out is to pick up the phone and play the role of the complaining customer. What happened? If you were an irritated customer, would you return? Using the B.L.A.S.T guidelines, allows you to create a standardized method for dealing with your complainers and turning them into loyal customers.
Believe
This is the cornerstone of handling a customer complaint. Yes, the customer may be lying and be incorrect about their situation. It is important to understand that your customer believes that your establishment has wronged them.
Listen
Stop and listen to your customer's complaint. I'm not certain whether it's natural instinct or just plain stubbornness. As soon as a customer starts to complain, we start to think of how we will respond to the accusation before we are done listening, and too often the case, already have the response ready to fight back. Take a second, relax, and listen. On occasion a complaining customer will be rude, angry, and use vulgar language, stay the course and remain calm and level headed.
When the customer is done venting; in a calm, non-judgmental tone, repeat their problem. An example I used in my KFC for a mispacked order:
"What I hear you saying is that, you came in ordered and paid for 10 Pieces of chicken and when you got home, you only received 8, is that correct?"
By repeating the problem at hand, you've demonstrated your ability to the custome
In a very real sense, the single best way to advance in your career or build your business is to be a good story-teller. That probably sounds strange, so let me explain what I mean. I’m not saying you should become one of those people who can manipulate the facts and talk their way in and out of situations with no regard for anyone other than themselves. We have enough people like that in the world already.Instead, I’m suggesting you become a good story-teller by truly appreciating what you have to offer, understanding how it relates to what people need, and finding the most effective way to communicate your potential. In other words, you have to be an expert at marketing yourself. Unfortunately, even people who are marketers by profession struggle with thi
Believe
Listen
Apologize
Satisfy
Thank
How does your company deal with customer complaints? The easiest way to find out is to pick up the phone and play the role of the complaining customer. What happened? If you were an irritated customer, would you return? Using the B.L.A.S.T guidelines, allows you to create a standardized method for dealing with your complainers and turning them into loyal customers.
Believe
This is the cornerstone of handling a customer complaint. Yes, the customer may be lying and be incorrect about their situation. It is important to understand that your customer believes that your establishment has wronged them.
Listen
Stop and listen to your customer's complaint. I'm not certain whether it's natural instinct or just plain stubbornness. As soon as a customer starts to complain, we start to think of how we will respond to the accusation before we are done listening, and too often the case, already have the response ready to fight back. Take a second, relax, and listen. On occasion a complaining customer will be rude, angry, and use vulgar language, stay the course and remain calm and level headed.
When the customer is done venting; in a calm, non-judgmental tone, repeat their problem. An example I used in my KFC for a mispacked order:
"What I hear you saying is that, you came in ordered and paid for 10 Pieces of chicken and when you got home, you only received 8, is that correct?"
By repeating the problem at hand, you've demonstrated your ability to the custom
Imagine if Yahoo! had been named TheInternetDirectoy. Or StarBucks was christened “Premier Coffees”. The names would be far more descriptive than their current ones. But they wouldn’t embody the essence or spirit of the companies they represent. Even if they offered the exact same goods and services, it’s unlikely Yahoo! or StarBucks would enjoy the same market share they now possess if given the more descriptive, and arguably accurate, names.Now why is that?In short, great brand names leverage our emotions. They resonate with the experiential right side of the brain vs. the logical left lobe. And emotions carry more motivational “charge” than logic. People buy emotionally and then justify rationally. And because great brand names create ment
Believe
This is the cornerstone of handling a customer complaint. Yes, the customer may be lying and be incorrect about their situation. It is important to understand that your customer believes that your establishment has wronged them.
Listen
Stop and listen to your customer's complaint. I'm not certain whether it's natural instinct or just plain stubbornness. As soon as a customer starts to complain, we start to think of how we will respond to the accusation before we are done listening, and too often the case, already have the response ready to fight back. Take a second, relax, and listen. On occasion a complaining customer will be rude, angry, and use vulgar language, stay the course and remain calm and level headed.
When the customer is done venting; in a calm, non-judgmental tone, repeat their problem. An example I used in my KFC for a mispacked order:
"What I hear you saying is that, you came in ordered and paid for 10 Pieces of chicken and when you got home, you only received 8, is that correct?"
By repeating the problem at hand, you've demonstrated your ability to the custom
Even the most meticulous and experienced human resources professionals find that handling payroll can be a headache. For many small businesses, payroll services offer an attractive and valuable alternative to in-house processing. They can provide a less expensive, simpler means of paying employees, filing taxes, and performing other essential but mundane tasks.Is a payroll service right for your small business?Extremely small firms with a stable, salaried staff and minimal changes in tax obligations may well be better off processing internally; it can be more convenient and cost-effective if your needs are straightforward.However, even for small businesses, processing paychecks internally is not always as cost-effective as it appears. A
When the customer is done venting; in a calm, non-judgmental tone, repeat their problem. An example I used in my KFC for a mispacked order:
"What I hear you saying is that, you came in ordered and paid for 10 Pieces of chicken and when you got home, you only received 8, is that correct?"
By repeating the problem at hand, you've demonstrated your ability to the custom
The Job Application Form differs from your resume in that it requires you to include much more detailed information about certain things, such as your former employer’s address and telephone number. Your resume does not provide this and employers will want this information if they want to contact your former employer(s) and/or if they do a background check.Be prepared when you go to your next interview. On a separate sheet of paper, list all of the specifics about each of your former employers, the schools you attended and other important details that your resume omits. If you follow the link at the bottom of this page, you will be taken to a list of information that is most often required in order to complete a job application for
When the customer is done venting; in a calm, non-judgmental tone, repeat their problem. An example I used in my KFC for a mispacked order:
"What I hear you saying is that, you came in ordered and paid for 10 Pieces of chicken and when you got home, you only received 8, is that correct?"
By repeating the problem at hand, you've demonstrated your ability to the customer that you heard and understood their problem.
Listen and clarify. Never defend or justify. The customer doesn't care if you were shorthanded or if you're having a bad day, they only care that they get taken care of. No excuses, just solutions.
Apologize
Always apologize even if you did nothing wrong. From your customers' perspective, they have a legitimate complaint, and they expect an apology. It could be as simple as "I'm sorry we've inconvenienced you." or "I'm sorry I know how frustrating it is to buy dinner for my family, only not to have everything there when I get home" A sincere apology will usually diffuse a lot of frustration that the customer has. There is an exception to this rule though, if a customer calls with a critical complaint, such as food poisoning, don't apologize, it may be construed as an acceptance of guilt, instead refer to your company's procedures for such events.
Satisfy
Make it right. Ask the customer "What can I do to make this right for you"? Be the judge of what is fair of course, but allow them the opportunity to feel empowered over the situation. Many times they may ask for the problem be taken care of on their next visit or maybe that you talk to the person who made the mistake and correct them. We used a great system of sending out a personalized postcard apologizing for the mistake, it was a couple of handwritten sentences (yes, many times with spelling mistakes from my team members), but it was personal and always well received. We always gave them the unexpected as well, maybe a free dessert or an extra side dish just to show that we cared about them.
Thank
At the beginning, at the end, in th
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