KNOW THE IMPORTANCE FOR APOLOGIZING TO A CUSTOMER

1. KNOW THE IMPORTANCE FOR APOLOGIZING TO A CUSTOMER The customers’ experience of buying depends largely on how they are treated. Studies show that more than 50% of the customers come back because they were treated nicely in the past. In case of an unhappy situation, it is important to remember that you don’t necessarily need to find who is to blame but apologize wholeheartedly. These are some of the reasons why: •CUSTOMERS ARE FOREVER Good customer relations are key to the success of any company. You always have to put your best foot forward in your interaction with the customer. You have to be careful in dealings especially when you are an online florist. As the same customer can do business with you for many years it is extremely important to take care of them. Therefore, ensure that the customer will keep coming back to you. It does not matter if it is a regular customer or a new one. Treat them all equally well. Nobody wants to waste a lot of their time waiting for the representative to pay attention to them or see that they are treated differently from the other customer. Always remember that a regular customer is a satisfied customer. So, if you feel that the customer is not happy, go ahead and apologize for the specific mistake or lapse. •REMOVE MISUNDERSTANDING It is important to remove any misunderstanding - be it from your side or theirs - early and quickly so that it does not cause much damage. A sincere apology will go a long way in setting things right. Address the issue and reaffirm that it will not happen again. Be very clear on what you are communicating to the customer and repeat it while concluding. •ONE CUSTOMER MAY BRING ANOTHER One happy customer is sure to share their happiness with others. Voila! Now you have more customers coming your way. Always keep in mind that your best advertisement is your customer relations, no matter what kind of products you offer, like hand bouquets, Idols, jewelleries, chocolates or any other services. Your oldest customer is a testament of your skills at maintaining excellent customer relations.

2. •IT SHOWS A RESPONSIBLE COMPANY & REPRESENTATIVE Apologizing does not mean that you are weak or that you are taking the blame for the situation, it shows that you are responsible. An apology can alleviate the bad experience that the customer may associate with you. Be sure to show that you value them and that you are genuine in your concern. It will also help reduce any bad press that you will surely invite from a disgruntled customer. IT LEADS TO A NEW LEARNING OR TRANSFORMATION Another thing to keep in mind is that both positive as well as negative situations are a learning opportunity for you. A bad experience that a customer had, may indicate that you have scope for improvement in the particular area. Try to isolate similar problems like that and view them as valuable resources. If a problem is identified make sure that you resolve it very quickly so that it does not persist. •WIN-WIN SITUATION Apologizing to the customer and maintaining good relations are beneficial to both parties. The customers go home with a good memory and for the business it means more sales in the future. •RE-ESTABLISH TRUST AND GO ON A sincere apology will re-establish the trust in your business. Nothing is lost forever, so your effort in trying to make the situation better will reflect positively. Always be on the lookout to find ways in which you can increase customer satisfaction. It is worth

3. sending a flower basket along with an apology note to a customer upset about an incident. It will definitely help the business.