Chapter 6
Recovering From and Winning
Back the Angry Customer
Objectives
Describe the five types of customers who defect
and why they do so
Describe the various types of feedback survey
instruments
Identify ways to recover from an angry customer
Identify the key points of a win-back message
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Understanding Why
Customers Leave
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Unintentionally pushed-away
Intentionally pushed-away
Pulled-away
Bought-away
Moved-away
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Understanding Why
Customers Leave
Indications that a customer is defecting
The squeaky wheel
The product return
The quiet customer
A slow pay
Falling revenue and reduced sales volume
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Getting Feedback
from Customers
Feedback Tools
Web-based surveys
Mailed surveys
Telephone surveys
Comment cards
Focus groups
Feedback forms
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Issues to Measure on
Feedback Surveys
Ability to meet deadlines
and on-time delivery
Accurate invoice amounts
Clear and helpful invoices
Clear and helpful quotes,
estimates, and proposals
Follow-through on
commitments
Overall value and range
of products and services
Chapter 6
Presence of competent
people and helpful CSRs
Price
Problem-resolution
approach
Prompt problem solving
Prompt shipments
Quality of product or
service
Shipments that match
orders and specifications
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Feedback Sources
Employees
Comment cards
Competition
Documentation and records
Mail surveys
Telephone surveys
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The Mystery Shopper
A third-party person who anonymously
and objectively evaluates a business
relative to customer service, product
quality, store presentation, and other areas
These evaluators follow specific
instructions during visits, complete written
reports, and help to identify strengths and
weaknesses of the business being visited
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Interpreting Customer
Feedback
Use thorough data-gathering and analysis
techniques before acting on complaints.
Do not spend lots of time, energy, and money
gathering complaint data and then do nothing
with it.
Do not take feedback results personally.
Inform customers about the impact their
feedback has had on the way issues will be
addressed.
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Recovering from the
Angry Customer
Listen and empathize
Apologize
Fix the problem quickly and fairly
Keep your promises
Make realistic and achievable promises
Thank the customer
Offer some form of compensation
Follow up
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An Effective Win-Back Plan
Win-back messages should
Acknowledge the customer’s past patronage
Point out improvements and changes made
since the customer’s decision to stop buying
Emphasize the ease with which the customer
can re-engage and place another order
Provide a financial incentive, if possible
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