Page 197 - 597 Business Ideas You can Start from Home - doing what you LOVE! (Beginner Internet Marketing Series)

1 90 You r Idea, I nc.

These complaints usually come by phone or via e-mail. The key
to resolving the issue is satisfying the customer. That is the goal,
plain and simple. Make them feel that they are right and apologize
for the problem (or inconvenience or mistake) on your part. Replace
the product if necessary, refund the money if needed, but always
resolve the issue in favor of the customer. Hopefully, she will then
speak positively about your company and not spread negative com­
ments either online or through conversations with friends.

I know what you're thinking-what if the customer is not right?
What if the description online did say the color was navy blue, not

sky blue? Well, there's nothing you can do. Take a deep breath,
apologize that the color wasn't what the customer expected, and
resolve the issue. If you're thorough and clear in your marketing
materials and website and have a great quality product, you prob­
ably won't hear complaints too often.

Also, monitor relevant blogs and user reviews for people who
complain about your product, but not directly to you. That's worse!

Though you never want to hear from an angry customer, it's better

to know he has a problem so you can do something to fix it and
stop the negative word-of-mouth in its tracks. If you find a poor
review or negative blog posting, see if that person's e-mail address
is listed and contact him politely and try to resolve the situation. If
not, "listen" to the complaint anyway and see if you can avoid that
particular problem in the future.

People Love Giveaways

It's always nice to get a little something extra, isn't it? Spread the
goodwill with your product. When shipping to individuals or to
small mom-and-pop accounts, throw in anything from a promo­
tional pen to a sample of something new in your line. Sample-size
freebies are a win-win situation-the customer gets an extra sur­
prise, and if she likes it, she may order a full size, thereby increasing
your profits.