No matter what kind of business you run, one thing is for sure: bad customer service sucks! And if you’re the one giving that poor customer service, your business may be in trouble. In this video I share an example of customer service that really sucked and what you can learn from my experience. *This video actually came about from a reader comment on a previous post asking what she should do about bad customer service.
NOTE: The first 8 seconds are messed up, so please skip to 0:09 if it bothers you. After that mark, everything is normal.
And if you like this video, please share it with your friends using the twitter and facebook buttons below. I’d really appreciate it.
19 comments | Click here to reply
Meagan, I completely agree with you on what you said here,”For me, customer service is key. Even if I loose some money in order to satisfy someone, it’s totally worth it. I want to be know as a business that takes care of my customers!” I feel the same way.
And you bring up an interesting point Jeannie. I am not sure if there a way to leave a review. But I appreciate your input. Hope you are having a great weekend.
papernstitch-Brittni
I have no tolerance for poor customer service. I can understand your reluctance for not calling him out publicly; however, if there is to be a second offering of this online course, is there a way to leave a review of it so people can decide for themselves whether or not to invest the $300? That’s a lot of money to me, and I’d want what I was paying for. And as you said, you did appreciated the content and all… you just came to feel you cannot rely on its all being there, or when it will come. That’s info I’d appreciate having if I were considering enrolling/purchasing this product. There are so many people offering online “courses/products” these days – separating the wheat from the chaff would be helpful. I like reviews!
Jeannie of Atlantic BeachlifeSomething like this happened to my Father-in-law once, where he had an experience with horrible customer service from a pretty successful business, and he told them, “I may not be your biggest customer, but I can be your loudest.” I think that got their attention pretty quick.
I think that may be the mindset of bigger artists or businesses who don’t have the best customer service, sad to say. They may think if they lose one, no big deal because there are so many more. I guess they’re not thinking of their reputation.
For me, customer service is key. Even if I loose some money in order to satisfy someone, it’s totally worth it. I want to be know as a business that takes care of my customers!
MeaganThank you Ruth. Glad to hear you enjoyed the video. Thanks for sharing your story!
“Good customer service is something that can really give you an edge and people will love your shop because of that alone.” I couldn’t agree with you more! Great point.
You’ve given me a lot to think about with the customer service group. Interesting…
Brittni
papernstitchAnother great video, Brittni! 🙂 I was really disappointed with my first every handmade product. I bought a pair of earrings for a well-established and popular seller on etsy and they broke the first time I wore them. I wouldn’t have been too bothered but after trying to get in touch with them for several months and never getting a reply I eventually gave up on a refund/exchange. It was really disappointing but didn’t put me off handmade!
Customer service is one of my main selling points as a small indie business. I mean, when you go into large stores the customer service is terrible (in my country, at least!) and it puts me off. Good customer service is something that can really give you an edge and people will love your shop because of that alone. It doesn’t take a lot of effort on my part but it brings a lot to my business. 🙂
Maybe you should start a group for shops/designers/etc who want to focus on customer service! 😀
RuthI agree with you completely thats sometimes you just have to stop chasing a dead end Linda. It can be tough to let it go. Believe me, I understand that. But at some point, you just have to move on. No excuse for poor service though.
papernstitch-Brittni
It’s definitely frustrating to be in that situation, whether the person is famous or not. Sometimes there can be misunderstandings…but over time they do get worked out. I agree that public defaming isn’t going to help… I usually just try to be fair and understanding. I explain the situation and find out what the options are. The issue of not being able to establish contact is worrying though, not sure what one can do. Sometimes you just have to let go and stop wasting for your time on a deadend. Unfortunate and very sad…but it does happen sometimes…you learn who you really want to work with!
The situation you stated regarding the good product, but just slacking on time…sort of makes me think some people assume they have the upper hand. That they can treat people in that way, simply because their have a good product. I don’t think that is the ultimate, because there’s no trust and credibility in what that person is telling you. They say it’ll be there soon, but then nothing happens. This time it’s about that, next time what will they slack off on? It really ruins a relationship!
lindaOh, that is frustrating Roben-Marie. I am sorry that that happened to you. I hope it is at the very least comforting to know that everyone has experienced something like this at some point in there lives. Thanks for sharing your story with pns readers.
papernstitchBrittni
Several years ago I ordered several art pieces from a very well-known mixed media artist at an art retreat. I did not receive the product in the time promised, so I e-mailed. I kept e-mailing and still no answer. Needless, to say I never received my products. It was very frustrating!
Roben-MarieMy pleasure Jamie. Thanks for bringing it to my attention in the first place.
papernstitch-Brittni
Brittni,
JamieThank you again for addressing my concerns and in turn bringing up a topic that is constantly overlooked in this ‘community’. I appreciate all you do & am looking forward to reading what everyone’s thoughts are.
AMEN SISTER!!!!
thea.
theaxx
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by brittni mehlhoff, lakshmi. lakshmi said: RT @papernstitch: Bad Customer Service REALLY Sucks: No matter what kind of business you run, one thing is for… http://goo.gl/fb/KV8Px […]
Tweets that mention What to do when you get bad customer service | papernstitch -- Topsy.comSo true Lakshmi. >> “…but a good product isn’t good enough without good customer service.” The whole service with a smile thing isn’t lost on me, that’s for sure. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
papernstitch-Brittni
Brittni , it’s so true . Bad customer service is the one thing that I cannot accept .
LakshmiMy worst experience was about 4 years ago when my sister got married . Our traditional dress for weddings is a sari . We got someone to sew up a beautiful blouse for it . Here is the thing, we didn’t see it until the day before the wedding ! After numerous phone calls and visits to her boutique , which by the way , looked like a bomb had exploded in it , she finally gave it. It was beautifully stitched up , but what upset me was that she didn’t know where it was ! After 20 minutes of searching in the piles of fabric around her , she found it – she had been sitting on it !!!
Sorry , but a good product isn’t good enough without good customer service !
I wish there was an easier way to steer clear of these people as well. But live and learn, ya know? I expect to get poor customer service every once in a while. And you know what (on the positive side)? It makes the people who give great customer service really stand out. And that is a good thing.
papernstitch-Brittni
How frustrating for both you and the person whose experience you mentioned early in your video. I wish there were an easier way to let people know to steer clear of specific businesses who don’t value customer service, but I understand how difficult it can be when it’s a smaller business because #1) it’s hard not to feel like a “meanie” if you name names, and #2) if the artist/business does have a large following, it could be bad news for whomever calls them out.
I’m actually kind of shocked to hear about your experience with the digital course product. Very poor organization on his part. Ironic, given that you mentioned that the course is about tips for small business, and two very important facets of running a business are good customer service and organization.
KristenSo glad you enjoyed the video Mayi. You are so right! >> “Because unfriendliness + lack of professionalism + being mean is such a mood killer!” Couldn’t agree with you more. A mood killer amongst other things.
papernstitch-Brittni
Brittni this is my favorite video so far!!! This is a topic that I think is not talked about as much as it should. Maybe because it’s a bit taboo, I don’t know… or maybe because people feel a bit scared to complain out loud. But in all honesty, I’m so glad you did, because SERIOUSLY, bad customer service SUCKS big time! There should be a bad customer service police to seriously penalize sellers how are not very nice to their customers. And VICE versa, I should also add! Because unfriendliness + lack of professionalism + being mean is such a mood killer!
OK rant over. Sorry. I needed to vent lol.
Mayi Carles @ Heartmade