Build customer loyalty through fast reactions and personal touchpoints.

Do you remember the last positive review you left online? I bet you remember the last negative one. Consumers are much more likely to remember a negative experience with a brand than a positive one, and consumers hold grudges. “Ugh! They forgot to give me napkins — I’m never eating there again.” “I stood in line for 17 minutes — I’m never going back there again.” “It took 8 days to receive my package — I’m never ordering from them again.”

It can take one transaction to lose a customer forever. That one transaction can create a detractor: someone who is, not only unlikely to ever return, but actively discouraging other people from doing business with you.

So how do you keep a detractor from dragging your business through the mud? Befriend them!

Think of your detractors as friends you’ve betrayed. Eek — that doesn’t feel good, does it? It shouldn’t. Someone can’t become a detractor without first being a customer. That means you’ve already created a positive moment for that customer. You gave them the tools and information they needed to feel good about spending their hard earned money on your company. They wanted to be your friend: wear what you’re wearing, eat what you’re eating, listen to your stories, and get excited to see you each time. You were their Regina George. They trusted you enough to make a purchase, and then something happened that betrayed their trust.

A customer betrayal can manifest itself in hundreds of ways: a long wait time, a broken or imperfect product, a rude associate, etc. Look, mistakes happen and they will continue to happen. It’s what you do immediately following that betrayal that makes or breaks the relationship and dictates whether or not that customer will ever return.

When a friend feels wronged by you — and the keyword here is “feels,” as a customer’s feelings should always be considered and validated — what do you do? You hear them out, you apologize, and you try to make it up to them. These are the same three steps you should take when befriending a detractor.

1. Hear Them Out
   Often times customers just want to be heard. They want to have the opportunity to rant about what went wrong and just get it off their chest. They want to feel like you’re listening, like you care. Be the shoulder for your friend to cry on. Let them tell you exactly what it is you did wrong. That may be all they need to feel relief, and better to release their frustration on you than to rant about it to their 3,768 followers on Instagram. And be proactive. If you’re aware of a mistake or a poor experience, reach out to the affected customers. Call them or email them right away letting them know you understand they had a negative interaction with your brand and that you’re here if they want to talk about it.

2. Apologize
   Apologizing seems simple enough, but pride often gets in the way. By saying you’re sorry, you’re humanizing your brand. You’re letting your customers know that you understand you did them wrong and you’re ashamed you let them down. It gives the customer a brief feeling of power — it puts them in the driver’s seat, temporarily. And that moment of “yes — I know I’m right” makes the customer feel good, which diffuses some of the anger and frustration. The key, though, is your sincerity. A simple, dismissive “sorry” will not have any effect, and could make the situation even worse if a customer feels like you’re just trying to make them go away. You need to truly feel sorry — and you should. No matter the situation, something happened between your business and a customer that made the customer angry, upset, or disappointed. I imagine this wasn’t the intended outcome when creating your business. So it shouldn’t feel good to let anyone down or to come up short on their expectations. Understand their feelings, validate them, express how sorry and remorseful you are that your business made them feel that way. Go back to your WHY — tell them why you do what you do and and that you’re disappointed they were stripped of that experience. Make sure they know that you care about them. Not just that you care about all of your customers, but you care about them specifically. And you’re going to do everything in your power to make it right.

3. Make It Up To Them
   Once you’ve heard them out and apologized, you have an opportunity to surprise and delight them. This is where the transformation from “detractor” to “friend” happens. Do something a little extra to prove you care, to make them think, “woah — I didn’t expect that!” You can achieve this through a myriad of approaches:
   
   a) Follow Up
   Give the customer a call a few days after your apology to follow up and ask how they’re feeling. Find out if there’s anything you can do that would improve the situation further. Let them know that you’ve been thinking about what happened and you still feel terrible. Make sure they know your name and contact info, and that you’re around if they have any questions or comments. An extra check-in shows you were listening and you sincerely care about them.
   b) Send A Handwritten Note
   People appreciate getting any mail that isn’t junk mail these days. Send the customer a handwritten note, again expressing your apologies and letting them know you’re working hard to ensure the situation doesn’t happen again. This is a great way to make a personal touchpoint that will come as a pleasant surprise.
   c) Ask For Suggestions
   People love to feel important. Reach out and let them know that you’re working on solutions to the problem they experienced. Tell them that you want their advice and suggestions. Not only does this make the customer feel acknowledged and significant, but you may also get some great ideas for improving your business. If you implement a suggestion from a customer, be sure to follow up and thank them. This is a great opportunity to bring a customer back — allow them to experience their own idea. Hey, they may even tell their friends about it, turning a detractor into a promoter.
   d) Send A Gift
   If you really want to create a surprise and delight moment, send them a token of appreciation: a gift certificate, an “I’m Sorry” balloon, chocolate covered strawberries. The intention should not come off as a bribe, but as a way to acknowledge their feelings and say you’re sorry in a tangible way. Unexpected gifts are well received and could even garner some attention online, making increased word-of-mouth marketing the cherry on top.

Once you’ve settled the situation, make sure to continue the friendship. Think of them as that friend from college you haven’t seen in years, but you check in with every few months to see what they’re up to. Keep the flame going by reaching out once in a while to see how they’re doing and if they’ve had any recent interactions with your brand. This doesn’t mean just adding them to the monthly newsletter. This is a personal touchpoint letting them know you’re there to ensure that, from now on, every experience they have with your brand is a positive one.

Keep in mind, this is not a one-size-fits-all model. Sometimes there are detractors who are not worth the time and money to befriend. There are plenty of people who just love to complain and will do so at any warranted, or unwarranted, opportunity. There are people who are way too far past the friend zone to wrangle them back in. And that’s okay. Better to put your efforts towards acquiring new customers and retaining loyal ones than spending time and resources to save one customer who’s, quite frankly, not worth saving.

There will always be moments where mistakes are made. It’s how you react to mistakes that either creates loyal customers or angry detractors. If you react quickly, honestly, and sincerely, you have the opportunity to make friends who are understanding, forgiving, and loyal. Making friends is always more fun.