How to Deal with an Unhappy Customer

No matter how hard you try, not all clients will be happy. No entrepreneur wants his or her customers to be unhappy. Not to mention that it's bad for business. Customers are human beings. Responding to angry, disgruntled and frustrated customers can be very stressful, especially over the phone. However, this is precisely the time when businesses have a golden opportunity to shine.

Listen - It's easy to truly care about them. And once you truly care about them, it's a lot easier to solve their problem. Unhappy customers can be a goldmine for how you can improve your product or service. Listen to them, and see it as a gift. When there is a problem, the first thing you should do is listen and understand what happened from the customer's perspective. Then ask the customer exactly what would make him or her happy.

Apologize - Ask yourself what you would really want in their situation. It's far more constructive to be empathetic and agreeable with customers. Apologize for and explain the situation, issue a refund (if applicable), and offer an additional benefit for sticking with you. Begin with "I'm sorry," then move to "How can we make this up to you?" You'll not only make that person happy, but you'll also learn how to improve.

Learn - When you calm the customer down, you can also potentially learn from them. Prepare to help, ask questions, and convey personal caring. The vast majority of customer complaints are legitimate, so this should always be your first assumption. Writing information down will ensure that you’ve accurately documented the situation, help you find solutions, avoid having the customer repeat themselves, and make it easier to relate the event to others if needed.

The customer may not always be right, but you should always make it right. Remain cool and try your best to problem solve. As always, remember us here at Marketink. Get Faster and More Reliable Printing, Banners and Large Graphics. Call us if you need us: 877.990.1616

source: http://www.inc.com/welcome.html?destination=http://www.inc.com/young-entrepreneur-council/17-ways-to-deal-with-unhappy-customers.html

The Customer Who Never Comes Back

 You know me. I'm a nice customer. I never complain, no matter what kind of service I get.

I will go into a restaurant and sit and sit while the waitress gossips with her boyfriend and never bothers to see if my hamburger is ready. Sometimes, someone who came in after I did, gets my hamburger, but I don't say a word. If the soup is cold, or the cream for the coffee is sour, I'm nice about it. So nice, in fact, that I leave a 20% tip and thank the waitress for serving me.

When I go to a store to by something, I'm thoughtful of other persons. If I get a snooty salesperson who gets annoyed because I want to look at several things before I make up my mind, I'm as polite as can be. I don't believe rudeness in return is the answer. I wasn't raised that way.

And it is seldom that I take anything back. I've found that people are just about always disagreeable when I do. Life is so short, too short for indulging in these unpleasant little scrimmages for the sake of a dollar or so. I bought a toaster once that burned out in two weeks. The store's "customer service" people, without listening to what I had to say, began telling me that I burned it out from misusing it and it wasn't their fault. All I wanted to do was ask them if they knew where I could send it to have it repaired.

I never kick. I never raise my voice. I never nag. I never criticize. I wouldn't dream of making a scene, as I've seen other people doing in public places. I think that is awful. Besides, I wouldn't want to cause any trouble or upset anyone's day. 

I'm a nice customer! I'll tell you what else I am:

I AM THE CUSTOMER WHO NEVER COMES BACK !!

That is my little revenge for getting pushed around. That is why I take whatever they hand out… I know that I'm not coming back. It's true that this doesn't relieve my feelings right off, as telling them what I think of them would. But, in the long run, it's a far more deadly revenge.

In fact, a nice customer like myself, multiplied by others of my kind, can just about ruin a business. There a lot of nice people in the world like me. When we get pushed far enough, we just go up the street to another store. We send our hard earned money in places where they are smart enough to hire help who appreciate nice customers. Together we do them out of millions of dollars every year.

"He laughs best – they say – who laughs last". I laugh when I see them frantically doing all kinds of things to get me back, when they could have held me in the first place with a few kind words and a smile.

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All of us at Marketink have the utmost appreciation for all of our clients, and we work very hard to provide every one of them with the attention and quality service they deserve. Let this be a reminder for all of us about how precious and important each and every client is for any business, and how we should never, ever take them for granted.

Call us at 877.990.1616 or visit us online at www.marketinkgroup.com 

Is Print Dead? Not Yet

The downfall of paper has been predicted for a century, but the end is nowhere in sight. Is print dead? No. Is it dying?  Kind of. Does it still have life? Yes. This subject has been buzzing around the marketing world since the rush of the Internet and social media. Daily newspapers, which can't compete with specialist publications or the immediate nature of the Internet, are dying a slow death. But is all hope lost for print?

In December, the new owners of Newsweek revealed that the distinguished weekly magazine will return to print after more than a year out of printed circulation. Publishers said the magazine would mainly be supported by subscriber fees, rather than advertising. Clearly they believe that so-called long-form journalism has a place in print.

Counterbalancing that news, New York magazine will decrease its frequency to twice per month. Quoting that because of falling ad revenues, it will no longer run weekly. The print media conundrum remains just that. A conundrum. Some publications continue to survive, while a few thrive.

There’s no magical formula to success. But something has to be keeping print alive. Let’s take a closer look at print media and some advantages it has over its digital counterparts.

Target marketing - A recent MORI study found that newspapers are the best medium for consumers to find coupons, search for ads, compare prices, plan shopping trips, and make purchase decisions.

Ads - A print magazine, with nice pictures and inventive ideas, can still inspire people to do and buy things in ways that the web can't. While many businesses have completely moved their advertising efforts to the web because of its cost effectiveness, exposure potential and convenience, print still maintains its stance as a powerful and necessary component of an ad campaign.

Engagement - Consumers are more engaged when reading printed material, unlike websites, which are often skimmed in as little as a 15 second visit. A study shows that people read digital screen text 20% – 30% slower than printed paper. (Alshaali & Varshney, 2005)

Variety - When you think “print,” what comes to mind? Magazines, books, and newspapers, probably. But print is everywhere. Look around your house: wallpaper, drink bottles, cosmetics, haircare products—all printed.

In reality, print is not dead, it just has competition. Print no longer holds the monopoly on being the first source for information, or the fastest, or the only way to get a message out. However, print does still have a point. It’s a purpose that is different to the one it held originally, but that doesn’t make it any less valid. What do you think? Do you still buy any print media?

As always, remember us here at Marketink. Get Faster and More Reliable Printing, Banners and Large Graphics. Call us if you need us: 877.990.1616