Today’s customers don’t just want products or services, they want unique experiences they can’t get anywhere else. Customers want to be delighted at every touchpoint, and anytime you can go the extra mile to make it even more special, you’ll gain loyalty. And, if you handle a complaint effectively, you could get a customer for life.

I talked a few months ago about Customer Service and the skills needed to handle a range of issues.  In this episode I drill down into complaints, empathy and ways to apologize when you’ve screwed up, because lets face it – we all do this at some time.  You’ll hear lots of examples from the summer of 2020 here in Ontario, and from some other owners and managers who have shared their ups and downs.

What to expect in this episode:

• The two established facts about dealing with guests in this business
• How identical situations can be viewed completely differently to produce happy and unhappy guests
• Victim mentality and why we should expect it
• Another crazy goose story
• ‘It’s not you’ – why some guests are determined to have a bad time, whatever you do.
• The things you need to be good at when dealing with complaints
• Four empathy statements that contribute to a better outcome
• The best ways to apologize
• And…the three things you should never say in an apology
• How to recognize a serial complainer set-up
• Why you need to occasionally give in and take the easy path – even when it just feels wrong!

Links mentioned:

VRS385 – Revolutionize your customer service with the Starbucks formula