When I was gathering reviews on Monday, a client responded to say that her experience did not go according to plan.
She highlighted the positives of her stay as well as the issues with their room which she did not enjoy.
I jumped onto Booking.com and TripAdvisor to check the review rating for the venue I have used for many years and was proud to see that the reviews are still well over 4 stars.
I then emailed the customer immediately to empathise with her and to confirm my action which was to escalate her concerns to the general manager at the venue.
He in turn responded immediately to relay his empathy and the steps he has taken to ensure that her experience never happens again. He also offered her another night at the venue to ensure that she has an exceptional experience.
The client declined his offer and thanked us for taking her concerns seriously and for responding quickly with next steps. Because of this she did not leave a negative review and she did not accept his offer for a free night away.
The intention behind my share is to emphasise the need for empathy and speed when we deal with customers (especially the complaints).
Dealing with time wasters is a whole new discussion topic, however, when things have not gone according to plan one must drop everything to trouble shoot and put right negative experiences.
Something key that rings through my mind often is how it takes years to build credibility/reputation and less than 24 hours for it to be severely damaged Your personal and business reputation is so fragile and must be monitored and nurtured at all times.
Exhausting but important to focus on.
