Angry customers don’t create themselves. Some customers will be hard to work with, no matter what you do. However, most customers are a product of your environment. Today I want to talk about keeping your customers happy because, happy customers means consistent cash flow and I know the idea of steady money makes you happy.
If you’ve got an hour or two, I can tell you an ear full about my experiences with customers. But, today I’ll just highlight a few that you might be able to relate to. Have you ever had someone ask you a thousand questions and then not buy? Have you ever gotten payment from the client and then gotten agitated because you actually had to do the work? Have you ever had a customer say something that got you upset? Have you ever had a customer tell you that you were wrong when you knew you were right? I’ve got a million of these questions in me, because they happen to me and most other entrepreneurs every single day.
Whether it happens to me or you, I know one thing to be true. Your business isn’t about you, your business is about your customer. Whether they are right or wrong, a pain or pleasure, your focus always needs to be on their happiness. Happy customers turn into return customers who give you great referrals, which is why I pride myself on never taking things personally and always being professional. When you need to vent, please don’t vent to customers. I’ve found that staying consistent and keeping my cool often persuades the worst customer to apologize to me and/or become one of my favorite customers. People are always looking for a reason to doubt the quality of your business, so don’t let your lack of professionalism prove them right. Take your ego and the back talk, out of your business. Even when you’re firing a customer, figure out how to do it in the nicest way possible.
I’m a firm believer in keeping customers happy, not just because they comeback. You never know who that person might be or where you might be in the future, so I suggest keeping your cool so that you can keep the line of communication open. Being professional is the easiest way to keep your customers happy, but it’s not the only thing you need to do. Review: Keep Your Customers Happy Part 2
