Sideways Marketing’s founder, Louis Sideways, stopped by to introduce a new service from the marketing company. The service is called Sorry Squad, and it revolutionizes how businesses interact with disgruntled customers.
Most businesses get the angry customer wrong. Instead of owning up to mistakes, they hide and hope the angry customer goes away. Aggrieved customers might then boycott the business, post angry reviews, complain to higher-ups or take legal action.
Is it unpleasant to have a customer get angry with you? Yes. Is it difficult to address an aggrieved customer’s sometimes outlandish complaints? Of course. Could it ruin your day? Absolutely. But if you do nothing, it might ruin your week, your month or even your year.
Take this scenario. One of your employees was cleaning up tables and used a cleaning solution. She sprayed cleaning solution, but it ended up all over a customer’s food at an adjacent table. The customer was furious and asked to speak to the manager.
Now, at most businesses, you’re relying on the manager on duty to come and listen to the complaint. If you’re lucky, a manager will come. But how often does a manager not come? If you have employees spraying a customer’s food with cleaning solution, I would guess the manager might even be asleep.
Even if the manager comes, what are they going to do? They’re going to flub their way through the interaction. They’re likely to claim the employee didn’t mean it, accidents happen, and they’ll offer to replace the food. However, they might also become defensive and refuse to take responsibility.
How’s this going to end? With a happy customer? Probably not.
Instead, imagine activating the Sorry Squad! You get a customer complaint, and suddenly, bam, you fire up the sorry alarm. Our nearest experts will rush to the aid of the customer. Instead of trying to defend the employees, they will be on the customer’s side.
First, they will apologize.
Second, they will listen to the customer.
Third, they will fix the problem.
Fourth, they will offer something outlandish to heighten the experience.
Maybe you’re an airline that lost a wedding dress. Why not add a day to the couple’s honeymoon?
The rental car reservation place didn’t reserve a car. Get them the best upgrade in the city, so the wait is worth it.
Employee sprays their food with sanitizer spray. Offer to cater an entire meal for their family, office or business.
With the Sorry Squad, your worst customer interactions become your best marketing tool.