Feedback isn’t always pretty. Sometimes, it really stings — say, when a customer calls to say you screwed up. But with the right mindset, you can use criticism to your advantage, by showing your dedication and converting the complainer into a lifelong flower buyer.
“When a customer calls to tell us the arrangement was ‘too small,’ I feel like giving him a high five,” said Manny Gonzales, owner of Tiger Lily Florist in Charleston, South Carolina. “Don’t get me wrong; I hate disappointing customers. But I love when they take the time and energy to tell me they’re upset. They don’t have to. They could just blow us up on social media with one- and two-star reviews. When they complain to us directly, they’re doing us a big favor.”
Gonzales, the author of the “Growth” column in Floral Management, appreciates customer complaints because they reveal critical information from people he’s trying to please (“better than a million-dollar focus group!”), gives him the opportunity to differentiate his business from the customer service robots at a big retailer and provides him a teaching moment for his staff.
Below is his process when responding to complaints:
- Apologize.
- Thank the customer for informing us that something went wrong.
- Ask for specifics. Was the arrangement smaller than expected? Did it arrive late? Was quality sub-par? We want to know the details, so that we can improve.
- Repeat the information to the customer; show them you’re listening.
- Without sounding defensive, offer a short explanation to underscore that the mistake isn’t “business as usual.” (The flowers weren’t “old,” but the water may have had too much bacteria in it; the address was wrong; traffic was backed up.)
- Say, “How can we fix this?” Don’t guess. Don’t argue. If they want a new arrangement, great. A refund? Absolutely. Both. Sure! Be gracious and generous. It’s your best shot for winning back their business for their next floral order, and all the orders after that.
Click here to read the full column.
