There are times in every business when a customer has an issue with a product or service. It may be a minor issue but left unheeded it can quickly grow into a proverbial monster. And we all know, one unhappy customer can do far more damage to your business reputation than you need to experience. Research indicates that it takes ten positive comments to outweigh one negative. So, when your time comes, as it indeed will, you need to be prepared. Be sure your team is trained to handle any dispute in an effective and efficient manner.
Recently, I had a customer contact me to question why they had not received a product they ordered. Rather than getting upset, I asked the customer a few questions to find out where the hiccup was located. Once I discovered the 'where' I easily found out the 'why'. This prompted me to place a phone call to my merchant services provider. After a very short time, I was able to find out exactly what the issue was and how to avoid further complication from the same issue in the future.
Would you like to know what that was? Well, it seems that when PayPal takes a payment from a credit card, they are by law to show proof of the charge. So, they do that rather than automatically forward the buyer to the download page like they do when it is a straight PayPal payment.
That receipt page has a very insignificant link that states to "click here to return to the buyer's website." This is not what your buyer wants to know, they want to know where to download their purchase. Since this was the cause of the confusion for the customer I inquired what could be done. The technician told me where and how to add advanced code to the button that would state whatever I desired. Well, in my case, I chose to write, "Click here to download your purchase." Now that makes things a whole lot clearer to the buyer and may just eliminate the problem in the future. Nevertheless, if I get another confused buyer, I'll ask one more question and resolve the issue that much faster.
As you can see from the above scenario, when buyers and sellers enter negotiations with mutual respect, they're more likely to come to a quick resolution. Here's what you can do to help make the process as smooth as possible.
Presume Good Faith
Begin the conversation with an open mind and give the buyer the benefit of the doubt. Listen to what the buyer has to say before jumping to conclusions, as many problems result from miscommunication or mistaken assumptions.
Be Constructive
From the start, make it clear to your customer that you believe the situation is resolvable. They'll usually reciprocate. Use a normal tone of voice when speaking and keep a level head. Loud or condescending tones will only aggravate the situation. This early show of mutual respect should make the rest of the conversation more productive.
Stay Focused
Stay focused on solutions while you're discussing the situation. If you're upset or annoyed, you might feel like giving the buyer a piece of your mind. That will probably just make it harder for you to come to an agreement.
Be Creative
Try to find solutions that allow both you and the buyer to come out on top. If you each offer to make a concession, it may be easier to put the matter to rest.
Think Long-Term
Considering the time it took my customer to answer my queries and help me resolve the issue I offered a discount on future services should they need any design work done. Keep this in mind the next time you have a customer contact you that needs your help. Not every battle is worth fighting. If you give the buyer a break today, it might even lead to more business opportunities tomorrow.
As a result of my careful handling and open communication the buyer sent me an email that stated, "Thanks, Ginger. I appreciate the great service!"
Preempt Disputes
One last thing you can do to help ease your buying customer's mind is to create a place on your website that clearly states your policies. When you know ahead of time that there could be delays in providing prompt service or deliveries, put a notice on your payment page that informs them of that fact. This may avoid a dispute from even being placed as they will see the message before they place their order. For example, if your message says, "All shipments are currently delayed due to the blizzard," or "We will be closed December 24th through January 2nd," the buyer will understand the situation upfront thus eliminating any confusion.
