Who Says the Customer is Always Right?

We all know the old adage, "The Customer is Always Right." If you are an online business owner or offline for that matter, you are on both sides of the subject almost everyday.

Before I started my online business, I was just on one side... the customer. I whole-heartedly believed in the above adage and never questioned it at all. In fact, I would get rather perturbed at ANY business owner, manager, or supervisor that would disagree with any complaint I had.

When I started my own online business back in 1997, I slowly began to learn the "other side."

My business products are all downloadable. If your business includes downloaded material, you know where I'm going with this one. I get NUMEROUS complaints EVERYDAY about usernames and passwords not working, corrupt downloads, and the big one... "I can't open the download." Now I always reply in a very helpful gesture, but my first question is always, "Are you entering the username and password exactly as shown?" This seems to be one of the "biggies" with newbies. They do not understand "case-sensitive" -- heck -- they don't even know what that means!

But it doesn't matter HOW simple I make the instructions and overall download process, I STILL get these everyday. I am accused of being a "scammer" at least 4 - 5 times a week... and that's on a GOOD week! :o)

The whole point of the above example is NOT that customers are wrong -- that's not the problem at all. Many of them are very new to the internet and sadly, they do not read through the directions most of the time. I have found that I basically have to put myself back into the "newbie" frame of mind -- as hard as that is to do! I don't remember NOT knowing how to download, enter case-sensitive passwords, etc.

You MUST try to understand that customer... at the point of contact, whether by email or phone, they have probably sat there for HOURS trying to figure it out. They are irritated, angry, and they've pretty much decided at that point that you scammed them.

Yes, it's irritating getting these "dumb" questions and emails even when you have them broken down so simply in the instructions. But face it, you're going to get them and you will get them often as more and more climb on the "web wagon."

When I get a very insulting email (yes, I HAVE been called the "B-word," the "MF-word," and recently a new one that I have never heard before... it was quite disgusting), I do not answer it immediately. I let my initial anger subside. When I can read through it and giggle... it's time to answer. I find that 80 - 90% of the time, the customer is VERY embarrassed of their initial email by the time I have helped them courteously through their problems.

I had to learn this process through time. Believe me... I am a VERY sensitive person and I used to take these to heart. It HURT! I had to revert back to my "customer side" as well as the "newbie" frame of mind and do my best to understand the person's anger.

One angry customer can lead to thousands if not millions in lost business revenue! Especially on the internet. That one customer tells one friend who in turn tells another and so on a so forth. You COULD get a real "psycho" customer that decides to start a website all about YOUR company and YOUR poor service or product.

Watch that one spread like a virus! :o)

On the other hand, exercise great customer service (get those emails answered within 24 hours, folks) and watch the *praise* of your company spread! I guarantee that you just GAINED thousands in sales!

MOST importantly remember these three things:

** LOVE YOUR CUSTOMER

** UNDERSTAND YOUR CUSTOMER

** VALUE YOUR CUSTOMER

You are NOTHING without them. Treat them like gold and you will RECEIVE gold in return!

Diane C. Hughes * ProBizTips.com

FREE Report: Amazingly Simple (Yet Super Powerful) Ways To Skyrocket Your Sales And Build Your Business Into A Tower of Profits! ==>> http://madmarketer.com/diane

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Google News Updated : Fri, 21 Nov 2008 21:51:50 GMT Florida Teen's Suicide Streamed Live On Internet - InformationWeek ABC News Florida Teen's Suicide Streamed Live On Internet InformationWeek - 1 hour ago Some thought the event a hoax until Adam Biggs, Jr.'s body was found by police. By KC Jones A Florida teen who intentionally overdosed streamed his death on the Internet while it occurred Wednesday. Florida teen kills self in front of live webcam Reuters Florida teen commits suicide in front of webcam The Associated Press ABC News - WTTE - TG Daily - FOXNews all 461 news articles Publ.Date : Fri, 21 Nov 2008 20:33:26 GMT Globe Magazine preview: Chuck Turner on race, ethics - Boston Globe WHDH-TV Globe Magazine preview: Chuck Turner on race, ethics Boston Globe - 1 hour ago For an essay in the Boston Globe magazine that will appear this Sunday, freelance writer (and former Boston city councilor) Tom Keane conducted an e-mail interview with Boston City Councilor Chuck Turner. Turner released on $50K bond in bribery case Boston Herald Boston politician Chuck Turner accused of taking a bribe NECN The Associated Press - Bizjournals.com - WBUR - WBZ all 375 news articles Publ.Date : Fri, 21 Nov 2008 20:32:45 GMT UN: Gunmen kill woman while trying to rape girl at camp - CNN International WELT ONLINE UN: Gunmen kill woman while trying to rape girl at camp CNN International - 1 hour ago (CNN) -- Armed men entered a Congolese camp for displaced people Friday to kidnap and rape a girl, but when the girl screamed, the gunmen fired shots, killing a 20-year-old woman, a UN spokesman said. DR Congo rebels say Hutu militia heading to evacuated zone AFP Rebel violence is latest in string of plagues afflicting Congo's Goma Los Angeles Times Sydney Morning Herald - Whitman Pioneer - BBC News - Reuters all 1,940 news articles Publ.Date : Fri, 21 Nov 2008 20:44:05 GMT Inside the Kobe-Shaq feud - SI.com TVNZ Inside the Kobe-Shaq feud SI.com - 5 hours ago By Mark Heisler This excerpt from Madmen's Ball: The Continuing Saga of Kobe, Phil, and the Los Angeles Lakers is printed with the permission of Triumph Books. Daily Dime: Shaq and Kobe play nicely - NBA ESPN Lakers roll past Suns Sports Network FOXSports.com - The Associated Press - Denver Post - East Valley Tribune all 645 news articles Publ.Date : Fri, 21 Nov 2008 16:36:50 GMT Small blaze erupts in Malibu, but winds are helping firefighters* - Los Angeles Times Small blaze erupts in Malibu, but winds are helping firefighters* Los Angeles Times - 57 minutes ago The Los Angeles County Fire Department estimated the blaze has burned about two acres but appears not to be spreading. Wind conditions were favorable for firefighters, who were on the scene. Brush Fire Ignites in Malibu LAist Brush Fire Breaks Out In Malibu CBS 2 Ventura County Star - San Luis Obispo Tribune all 5 news articles Publ.Date : Fri, 21 Nov 2008 20:53:56 GMT Congressional Leaders Vow Support for Carmakers - New York Times Vancouver Sun Congressional Leaders Vow Support for Carmakers New York Times - 1 hour ago By DAVID STOUT WASHINGTON - A day after declaring that American auto executives had failed miserably in making their case for federal aid, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi sought to encourage them on Friday, saying that “we don’t have any intention of seeing ... Bailout debate simmers as GM pares output Reuters Hill to Detroit: You Want Money? Play By Our Rules. Washington Post Detroit Free Press - Indian Express - FOXNews - WIS all 3,012 news articles Publ.Date : Fri, 21 Nov 2008 20:00:15 GMT NPR Radio Host's Conflict With Drug Makers Exposed by Sen. Grassley - InjuryBoard.com InjuryBoard.com NPR Radio Host's Conflict With Drug Makers Exposed by Sen. Grassley InjuryBoard.com - 2 hours ago Senator Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) just keeps uncovering all kinds of skeletons in the closets of influential people. This time he has found that a popular National Public Radio (NPR) host of the health and science show, “The Infinite Mind,â€� has a ... NPR doc didn't disclose pharma payments FiercePharma Grassley Knock NPR Host Goodwin for Drug-Industry Conflicts Wall Street Journal Blogs Pharmalot - Nature.com (subscription) - New York Times all 9 news articles Publ.Date : Fri, 21 Nov 2008 19:29:51 GMT RSS2Blog Add RSS Feeds To My Web Pages

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