How to deal with unhappy customers

Facing an unhappy customer is inevitable in E-commerce. No matter how much you try to provide a seamless shopping experience, things can go wrong from time to time. But it doesn’t have to feel like the end of the world (or your business, for that matter). Payo, an E-commerce enabler in the Philippines, has prepared some tips on how you can deal with your unhappy customers:

Listen attentively

Listening is one of the most effective ways to handle angry customers at the onset of the situation. Whether there was a shipping error, misinformation on your platform, or something else entirely, giving your customer your full attention is an essential step. 

Thoroughly go over their complaint before you respond, and focus on what they are trying to communicate, not the anger behind their words. To show them that you are genuinely listening, you can paraphrase what they’ve said, ask questions, and avoid interrupting them while they are talking. You don’t want to upset them more by being passive about the situation.

Apologize and offer a solution

Another thing you must do is to acknowledge their concerns. Let them know that you understand why they are upset.

Once you have acknowledged and assessed their situation, it’s time to apologize and explain your side if necessary. Most brands have pre-made responses for different situations, but you must always personalize your response. You should also offer service recovery for your customers, whether it’s issuing a refund, a replacement, or a discount voucher. No matter how small a complaint is, take it as an opportunity to show your customers that you value them.

Make the necessary follow-ups

Once you have resolved the concerns of your unhappy customers, you might think that the work is already done. This shouldn’t be the case.

It’s not always safe to assume that fixing your customers’ problems at hand is already enough to make them loyal shoppers. What you can do is to make sure that you ask them whether or not they are satisfied with the solutions you have provided. Do some follow-ups. Send emails. Call them. This way, you can gradually build rapport and trust among your customers.

Prevent it from happening again

Your experience dealing with unhappy customers is an invaluable source of information on how to avoid it in the future. You can use this as an opportunity to improve your business as a whole and stand out from your competition.

Review the systems you have in place when it comes to shipping out products and providing customer support. Make the necessary adjustments to avoid mishaps from happening in the future. Also, make sure you have trained customer service professionals who are equipped to do the job. 

Additionally, E-commerce enablers in the Philippines have emphasized time and again the importance of automation. Ultimately, it just makes online shopping more convenient for everyone. And when you combine automation with efficient human support, you are sure to make managing customers faster and easier.

Dealing with unhappy customers is difficult, but it is not impossible. And being able to do so is an opportunity for your business to implement a growth mindset, where you continuously learn to provide only the best for your customers.

If you’re looking for a partner in providing customer support, Payo’s tech-based solutions can help you!

We offer Live Customer Support to keep an open line with your customers, especially when it comes to package concerns. We also send out automated text messages so that your customers know the status of their delivery. 

Additionally, Payo can provide support in other ways. Aside from optimizing your customer services, you can also trust us with E-commerce Automation and other services like Marketplace Optimization, Fulfillment, and Warehousing. 

Sign up now or send us a message at [email protected] to jumpstart your journey toward having effective E-commerce customer service.