If your product, website or support fails a customer, is it their problem? No, it’s yours.
Heed their feedback. It’s a warning.
Customers who complain are doing you a big favor. Instead of telling you that there is a problem, they could just go away mad—and tell all their friends.
Just because you have not encountered the problem yourself, that does not mean it is not real. It means that your interface, documentation, web design, or *something* is at fault, and you need to fix it.
And just because no one has complained before, that does not mean there has not been a problem all along.
Quit assuming that the customer is always wrong / stupid / lazy / dishonest. And even if you think that, do not let it show.
And the customer who is trying out a free service or product today (and complaining when it does not work as advertised) is not being “ungrateful.” Grow up! You’re in business.
That complaining, grouchy customer gave you a chance. They could have become your biggest fan. But you failed them.
Good marketers rise to the challenge, accept complaints as feedback, and make sure the customer is happy. That is how you keep customers and get new ones by referral. Sarcasm is not.
Sure, a grouchy customer could be just a mean person. Or they could be just having a bad day. And your product and/or inadequate service and support could just be the cause of that bad day.
So be nice. And pay attention. You could learn a lot.
Customers who speak up are valuable. And they are the tip of the problem iceberg. For every one who speaks up, there are lots more who simply leave in disgust—and tell their friends.
Think about it.
I admit to being a diehard Steve Jobs fan. As a marketer, how can you not be? Jobs is not just a marketing genius; he’s a marketing revolutionary.
