From “Disgruntled” to Firm Champion: How to Turn Your Worst Customer Into Your Best

The worst thing an unhappy customer can do is not tell you that he is unhappy. The second worse thing he can do is tell everybody he is unhappy. The quiet customer will just take his business elsewhere. The not-so quiet customer will turn to his friends – or worse, to social media.

Here’s how you can turn an unhappy customer into your best advertisement.

Encourage feedback. No news is good news? Not quite. If your customers aren’t saying anything, they must be happy, right? Not always. You need to actively solicit feedback. Use customer surveys to collect feedback often – or better yet, pick up the phone! You can’t fix the problem if you have no idea it exists.

Listen with empathy. If your customer is willing to tell you that he is unhappy, listen. Don’t interrupt, don’t be dismissive, and don’t tell him that no other customers are having that problem. The customer may not know the root cause of his unhappiness until he has a chance to vent for a while. If you don’t understand the nature of the problem or how you can fix it, ask for more detail. Above all, don’t be defensive or dismissive.

Ask how you can make it better. Give the customer options. Is he unhappy with the quality of your temporary employee? If so, how could you remedy it? Work to find the root of the problem, and work from there to address your customer’s concerns.

Take action. Once you determine the correct course of action, get moving on it right away. Check in with your customer during the process to ensure they’re happy with the progress, and make sure you follow up afterward too, to ensure they continue to be satisfied. Course-correct if your solution is not hitting the mark.

Prevent recurrences. Analyze the cause of the problem. Was the customer unhappy with the employee you presented because he was not clear enough on his requirements, or because you did not adequately screen the candidate? Keep tweaking your systems to improve your results.

Looking for ways to increase your customer satisfaction? Look to Avionté Software. With Avionté, you can improve and streamline your processes, allowing you to serve your clients and candidates better.

As specialists in the staffing industry, we work with staffing and recruiting firms daily to help them solve business problems. To learn more about Avionté, contact us today.