4. Responsibility & Standards Maintenance
Avoid making excuses in your responses. Dissatisfied customers don't want to hear them and will appreciate you taking responsibility instead of getting defensive.
Even if a negative experience wasn't your fault, always take the high ground. Remember, customers can easily choose another business.
Emphasize your commitment to high standards in every response. For example:
“Hello (customer name)! We at (business name) want to offer our sincere apologies for your negative experience. We always work toward providing the best service to all of our customers. On the rare occasions where we fail, this situation being one of them, we do everything within our power to correct any mistakes and issues that occur. We are committed to improving our services and would appreciate it if you would contact us at (phone number) to make things right!"
5. Suggest a solution to fix
Always provide a solution like a refund, discount, or free replacement.
Your goal is to fix the issue and turn the situation around.
This can encourage the customer to give you another chance and maybe even change their review to positive.
If they don’t, respond with genuine regret and show you want to prevent it from happening again.
“Hello (customer name)! We at (business name) want to offer our sincere apologies for your negative experience. We always work toward providing the best service to all of our customers. On the rare occasions where we fail, this situation being one of them, we do everything within our power to correct any mistakes and issues that occur. We are committed to improving our services and would appreciate it if you would contact us at (phone number) to make things right!"
6. Reassurance that the situation will not happen again
In your response, assure the customer that the issue won't happen again and that you are committed to preventing similar problems. You could say:
"Hello (customer name)! We are sorry that your experience was negative and unsatisfactory. We promise to do everything in our power to prevent this issue from happening again in the future. if you have some advice on how we can accomplish this, we are more than happy to hear from you at (phone number) and sort this out!"
Always offer the customer a chance to contact you offline and discuss their negative experience more in-depth.
Of course, make this suggestion subtly so that you don't come off as wanting to hide negative interaction. You can write something like:
"Hello (customer name)! We are sorry to hear about your experience and want to investigate this issue further to provide the most suitable solution for you. If you would like to discuss this further, please get in touch with us at (phone number) or at (email address), whichever is more convenient for you. We would greatly appreciate hearing from you and making this right!"
8. Invitation/second chance
Invite the customer to discuss their experience further to find a suitable solution. This could encourage them to reconsider their view of your business.
It will also make the customer feel heard and valued on your part, which is essential.
For example:
"Hello (customer name)! We are sorry to hear about your unsatisfactory experience and would like to do everything in our power to rectify it! We would greatly appreciate you contacting us at (phone number) and helping us to make this right!"
9. Follow-Up After Resolution
After resolving the customer's issue, it's essential to follow up to ensure their satisfaction and show that you care about their experience.
This extra step can turn a negative review into a positive one and build long-term loyalty.
For example:
"Hello (customer name). Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to resolve your issue. We hope you are satisfied with the solution. Please feel free to reach out if there is anything else we can assist you with. Your feedback is invaluable to us, and we look forward to serving you better in the future."
10. Highlight Improvements Made
In your response, mention any changes or improvements you've made as a result of customer feedback.
This shows that you take feedback seriously and are committed to continuous improvement.
You might say:
"Hello (customer name). We are sorry for the inconvenience you experienced. Your feedback has led us to implement (specific change or improvement) to prevent similar issues in the future. We appreciate your input and would be grateful if you could give us another chance. Please contact us at (phone number) so we can make things right."