No brand is perfect. There will be times when an employee makes a mistake, your product falls short or forces beyond your control cause customer dissatisfaction.
But it’s never right to argue with a customer over an upset.
You will not win.
I recently had dinner at a restaurant with my family. The server was pleasant. The mom and pop atmosphere felt cozy and friendly. But when our orders arrived, everything changed. One look (whiff) of the shrimp salad placed in front of me knocked me back. Actually, everyone at our table reeled back because the odor of spoiled shrimp assailed us.
When I politely explained the situation, asking the server to remove it and get me something else, I was immediately told I would still have to pay for the dish I’d ordered. The situation unraveled from there, with the final straw being the manager coming to our table, reaffirming that we’d still have to pay for the dish because the cooks in the kitchen are well trained and know how to expertly prepare the food.
The message was sent loud and clear: we customers were obviously fools to have questioned the food at all.
It was such a dissatisfying customer experience that I’m still mad. I’ve written reviews on multiple social media channels and I’ll probably write a few more before I’m over it. And my mother, who’s a local, will tell all her friends.
It was a $12 entrée but the ricochet effect of how our complaint was handled will continue.
Here are 4 DOS and a DON’T: what every business—large and small—can learn from this customer experience mistake.
DON’T confuse defending employees with defending a mistake
You need great talent, great culture and great employer brand no matter the industry. Effective leaders protect employees from abuse. This manager defended her kitchen staff and others on the team heard it. They know she has their backs. But this should not be carte blanche. Accountability for quality (and safety) should never be compromised.
DO train for the first 30 seconds after the mistake
Rehearse what happens in the first 30 seconds. Customers often decide whether they feel heard before you’ve solved anything. The goal of the first 30 seconds is not to determine fault. It’s to communicate, “I believe you’re having a bad experience, and I’m going to help.” Recovery gets dramatically easier when people don’t feel dismissed. This mix of skills is key to delivering the brand experience you want customers or clients to have.
DO give your team members a voice
Give employees a way to make things right before the story spreads. Don’t expect them to blindly follow your code. That means employees should feel empowered to be able raise a concern if they see (or smell) one. And they should have the authority to take care of a customer issue without having to pass the buck. That shows them that leadership respects their intelligence, not just their skills.
DO monitor your social media
Some clients may not complain to your face. Instead, they’ll loudly complain to thousands of strangers who make their own buying decisions based on those reviews. Whether you were at fault or it was a misunderstanding, you must acknowledge the issue and apologize on those public forums. That gives you an opportunity to make amends and it shows readers you’re tuned in.
DO watch for trends
Keep an eye out for emerging trends that could signal a looming issue if left unchecked. Audit your brand with a combination of employee surveys, customer surveys and social media listening. Compare what you see with changes in your industry and your competitive set. Then use what you learn to inform future training, customer experience protocols, product/service mix, delivery systems and more.
A comp or apology is not the finish line. If the underlying process is still broken, the “fix” is just a Band-Aid.
Turn mistakes into brand-building opportunities
Admit the mistake.
Fix the problem.
Fix the process so it doesn’t happen again.
The mistake is rarely the whole story. The response decides whether it stays a complaint or becomes a cautionary tale.
For more on branded customer experience strategy, see this article by Alexandra Reilly: How customer complaints became a brand’s badge of honor.
MB Piland is a marketing agency helping clients with brand strategy, branding and employer brand development. Want to talk about strengthening your brand? Call Martha direct at 785.969.6203 or
Photo credit: Ruliff Andrean on Unsplash.
