Over the last three weeks we’ve focused on converting complaining customers into delighted Cheerleaders. How?
1) Diffusing the situation with my 3-step Emotional Judo method.
2) Fixing the situation quickly and cheerfully.
3) Making Symbolic Atonement. (Doing “something extra” at no charge.)
You have lots of Symbolic Atonement (SA) options- clean the traffic lanes in the next room, a few sofa cushions, their entrance mats or their car upholstery, etc. Let me share my ultimate Symbolic Atonement gift for any customer screw up …
Order standard business checks with your logo and contact information on them. But on the “pay to” line the subscript should read: “In goods and services” instead of dollars. So now you can whip out your “SA checkbook” and say, “Let me make this up to you. Here is a gift check for $____ that you can redeem down the road for any of our services.”
If we inconvenienced a customer by being late I would make the Gift Check out for $20.00. But if we had to put her out by coming back on a complaint then the Check might be for $50.00. And for a really big mess (even if she was happy) I might make the check out for the total cleaning price!
NOTE: If our client was still NOT happy with us I would force myself to put on a big smile and write out a real check to refund her money!
The great thing here is your Symbolic Atonement gift check has real value both visually (it IS written on a real check!) and emotionally too. (“Honey, they gave us 20 bucks off our next cleaning just because they were a half hour late!”)
But the biggest advantage for you? Your customer will almost certainly use your services again to “cash in” their Gift Check. You’ve just salvaged a client from going to your competition and quite possibly made a Cheerleader for life!
NOTE: Click here to see one of my “Gift Checks”. This one had been pre-printed with a “$10.00 off offer” that we handed out by the thousands at home and trade shows. My normal Symbolic Atonement checks were blank so I could fill in the amount.
Steve
PS: Not convinced? I’m always up for a debate, share your doubts or rebuttals in the comments.
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This week’s FOCUS: Controlling your costs
Carpet cleaning technician pay- commission vs. hourly? What to do?
Should I make my pal a sub-contractor?
What equipment should I buy with $5,000.00 for a carpet cleaning start-up?
Marketing decisions are easier when you have hard numbers to analyze
Big business marketing applied to small cleaning business budgets
Simple tricks to make more money- RIGHT NOW!
Are you “sailing against the cash-flow wind” as a professional carpet cleaner?
I can’t travel but I REALLY need SFS! HELP ME!
Download: Weekly Financial Flash Report
Also new this week:
- Special Report: How carpet cleaners can “partner” with retailers
- American Airlines files Chapter 11- so what?
- QuickTIPS: Converting an angry client into a Cheerleader
- I need help with a letter for commercial accounts!
- The best way to train techs in customer service
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Steve, I happen to really like that idea. We are always looking for new and innovative ways to improve our customer service. Even though, we hope that we will never upset a customer, we all eventually will and do. Your idea is a great way to turn a bad situation into a better one. Look forward to seeing you again in January at SFS in Tampa!
Thank you, Paul. Sometimes I wonder if anyone reads this stuff. So an occasional “that’s a great idea” goes a long way with your SFS team! (Even better is when you share a “Success Story” on what happens when you actually DID IT!) You can tell me about it next month.
Steve
PS Paul, don’t wait to sign up for the Tampa Bay Strategies. (January 30-February 3) It is always our most popular SFS. Hmmm … I wonder why?
Steve, you will get to meet my lovely wife next month as she will be attending the entire week. We are already signed up for SFS and are looking forward to it. My wife has been talking about it for over 3 months! See you then.
Paul, I’m so excited that Marie is going to SFS. I really have enjoyed talking with her and sharing ideas (and the occasional venting session about working with our hubbies)! I can’t wait to talk to her after she goes. I already told her how awesome it is and that it’s hard to not want to run home and try to start doing everything. Hopefully she’ll learn from my over eagarness and develop a more strategic plan for implementing things then I did my first time around. I’m looking forward to going again (my 3rd time) in September in PA!
Meg