How to Deal with Unhappy Customers
Most customers that come to your food truck are there to support you and cheer your business on. Unfortunately, there are some circumstances where a customer will be unhappy with the service or product you provide. The best thing you can do when dealing with unhappy customers is to listen to the customer, find a solution, and don’t dwell on negativity.
Listen to Your Customer
If a customer has any type of feedback or a complaint, it is imperative that you listen. Do not tune out their complaints with the mentality that you are the expert. Your customers can tell when you’re listening to them. Nodding your head and saying “I understand” doesn’t necessarily improve the situation. If a customer doesn’t feel like they are listened to, they will go somewhere else. Sometimes listening can make all the difference in calming an upset customer.
Find a Solution
Ultimately, the customer should be the compass for your business. When they come to you with a complaint, you should find a solution. After you have thoroughly listened to them and understand their needs, find ways you can solve their problem. If a customer brings back an order that wasn’t up to par, you need to resolve the issue. You don’t want to give every customer who complains a free meal, but sometimes it is necessary to resolve conflict. Inability to find a solution will lose you customers.
Don’t Dwell on Negativity
Whether a customer has a good or bad experience, you can learn from it and improve. But don’t get stuck thinking about the negative reviews. Learn from your mistakes and apply what you learned to current and future situations. Applying valuable lessons will help you make your business and your customer service better. By default, you consequently make your customers happier.
Remember that sometimes an unhappy customer is just having a bad day. Their expressed frustrations may not be a result of your food or service. Learn how to take criticism constructively and brush off the negativity that you can’t do anything about.
Your business is about customers. Without customers, you would not be in business. Keeping your customers happy is a must. Knowing how to deal with unhappy customers will help you retain business and overcome many challenges owners fail to recognize in the food industry.
To continue making your dining experience positive for customers, check out our article Simple Strategies to Draw People to Your Food Truck.
