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By Tony DeMasi, editor
ometimes even seeing isn’t believing. Sprint, the phone service
provider, recently sent letters to more than 1,000 customers, saying
that their business is no longer accepted because they complained
too much to customer service. According to Sprint, these
customers called too often about billing and other service questions. This
action can be considered the antithesis of what customer service should
be.
Can you imagine telling your customers to never come back because
they asked questions about your service? “If the average person is calling
less than once per month and these people are calling more, that takes
away from customer service,” Sprint spokeswoman Roni Singleton told
the Associated Press.
Just because customers complain, doesn’t make their complaints valid
or even valuable. But, it is possible that the customers are blessings in disguise.
The customers may be vocalizing something many other past and
present customers experienced but didn’t tell you about. The majority of
unhappy customers find it easier to just leave the store and never return
instead of looking for a solution. If a customer has made complaining a
daily occurrence, then it is possible he/she is really bored and has a lot
of spare time. Should that be the case, turn the lemon into lemonade.
Ask the customer to be on your “advisory panel,” and offer a 10 percent
discount on all purchases while on the panel. In the blink of an eye,
you’ve turned that complainer into a valuable comrade. You know that
person will tell everyone how wonderful your shop is and how important
he/she is to the future success of your business.
If a customer just cannot be satisfied under any conditions, ask for an
appointment with the customer and apologize for the service he/she considers
below standard. Be excruciatingly polite. Have someone else in the
office too. Gently suggest the customer shop elsewhere since your store
obviously cannot meet the expected levels of excellence. Chances are the
customer will turn the objections around in a minute.
If you have reached the limit on being nice to an abusive customer and
see no redeeming value in maintaining the relationship, break it off in a
way that cannot be disputed. One retailer who had it with a “return
queen” stopped taking back her returns, claiming the merchandise was
damaged, or that the return would have to be at the items lowest sale
price — about 10 percent of the paid price — because of the condition of
the item. Eventually the customer stormed out threatening to never
return and the problem was solved at the customer’s decision.
Legally speaking, unless that customer has become a public nuisance,
made threats or shoplifted — and you’ve documented the claims — I don’t
think you can just tell someone to never come back. Some retailers ask
certain customers to go away permanently, based on excessive returns. If
you follow that school of thought, you better have signs posted about how
many returns you consider “excessive.” Otherwise, you’re opening yourself up for problems. Retailers have to document
that they did a reasonable amount of due diligence
before firing customers “for cause,” if only
to avoid things like investigations by states’ consumer
protection agencies. In the Sprint case, The
New York State Consumer Protection Board felt
the carrier should reimburse terminated subscribers
for their inconvenience.
There is no benefit, short or long term, in “dismissing”
customers. Statistically speaking, each of
those people will tell 10 of their friends about
their experiences with the store. Die-hard complainers
love to hear themselves talk, and talk
they will. Be smart and turn that lemon into
lemonade. The old adage, “the customer is always
right” may not be true, but unless you handle the
matter very carefully, you will always be wrong.
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