Reducing Client Frustrations In 5 Easy Steps

reducing client frustrations in 5 easy steps

Client frustration can spell disaster for your business. It is all too easy for a dissatisfied customer to spread the word via social media and, before you know it, the company has come crashing down around your feet. There are, however, ways in which you can reduce client frustration in # easy steps. Continue reading to find out more.

Communicate

There is no worse feeling for clients than not being well informed as to what is happening with their order or the work they are expecting to be carried out. Positive communication can negate that feeling. In fact, ensuring that customers are updated regularly will mean the likelihood of a grumpy phone call is significantly reduced and customer satisfaction levels will be higher. Good levels of communication amongst staff will also ensure that mistakes happen less frequently. When something does happen that will impact negatively on clients, communicate and be honest with them.

Update

In the age of technology, finding that an element of an app or program that doesn’t work can be incredibly frustrating. This is particularly the case when clients rely heavily on that aspect of technology. Ensuring that everything is regularly updated can prevent any major problems. An efficient CI/CD pipeline could help with this. Find out more here: https://www.servicenow.com/products/devops/what-is-cicd-pipeline.html

Likewise, buying equipment and expecting it to still be as useful two years later is ill-advised, and this should be regularly updated, too. Encourage staff and customers to report any problems, such as with their laptops, immediately to ensure fixes can be made and further issues avoided.

Apologize

Though it can be tricky to swallow your pride and admit that you have made a mistake, it is an important step to take in some situations with customers. However, apologizing does not automatically make everything right straight away. Clients need to realize that you are being sincere and not just saying sorry to get them off your back.

Emailed apologies are not as successful as in person or over the phone ones which allow you to project the right tone and they can also read your expressions and body language, too. Use this approach, if possible, but a carefully worded email can be a back-up plan.

Address The Issue

If a customer is aggrieved about something, the chances are that they are expecting the situation to be resolved in some way. Simply apologizing will not fully rectify things and so you must address the issue, attempting to make things better. For example, if an item is not working, get it fixed. If work is delayed through no fault of the customer, get it back on track. Of course, there are times when this is impossible but showing willing and clear attempts to improve matters is vital.

Be Authentic

Finally, a customer can smell a scripted response a mile away, especially on social media. While it is an excellent idea to have all employees singing from the same hymn sheet if this results in staff members coming across as clones and disingenuous, the outcome is not as expected. Train and encourage your teams to be authentic whilst sticking to workplace policies and agreed strategies as closely as possible.

About Brian: Brian Jackson is the founder of Shoestring Branding - a marketing and branding blog for entrepreneurs, with an emphasis on internet-based tools and strategies.