No matter what business you’re in, dealing with an unhappy customer is the hardest part of the job for many support reps. Emotions are running high, and not every problem is easily solved.
But customer service isn’t just about solving problems. It’s also about empathizing, making the customer feel as though you value their business, and showing your commitment to doing better. That’s why it’s so important to empower frontline agents with the right appeasement strategies.
READ MORE: 10 Stats to Show Why Your Service Reps Need Customer Rewards
Unfortunately, one of the most common strategies — giving a discount on a future purchase — doesn’t always send the right message. For instance, when someone complains about the food at a restaurant, and the manager offers a coupon for a free meal, it feels like the concerns are falling on deaf ears. When a customer calls a cleaning service or contractor because they’re not satisfied with the work as it was performed, and you offer to send the team back for half-price, you imply that the complaint isn’t true or isn’t your fault.
A discount is also not an effective appeasement strategy when you’re selling something that doesn’t need to be purchased again for a long time, like an appliance or an annual software subscription. Even if the unhappy customer would be willing to buy from you again, they wouldn’t have the opportunity to use that coupon anytime soon.
Another example that can be problematic is when the purchase was made for a timely reason. If a customer bought balloons to decorate for a party, but then found out on the day of that they all had holes, a coupon for a new package of balloons or a free replacement would no longer do any good.
In these situations — and even in other circumstances where a discount could seem appropriate — you’ll make a much better impression with digital rewards. When sent to appease an unhappy customer, a virtual gift card or prepaid card says:
We’re sincerely sorry and want to make it right with a reward you actually want.
A discount still benefits your company, because it encourages an unhappy customer to buy from you again. Giving a popular, flexible reward like a gift card puts the focus back on what the customer wants.
We care about your experience, even if you might not need or want to buy more from us right now.
Digital rewards send a positive message that you understand and empathize with the customer’s frustration. You’re not pressuring them into any additional purchases — you just want to help.
We hope to regain your trust so you become a customer for life, not just for one more (discounted) purchase.
Appeasing an unhappy customer with a coupon certainly increases the likelihood that they will buy something else so they can use it. But what about after that? Will they continue to come back again and again? Will they tell others about their bad experience? Customer service teams need to look at appeasement not only in the moment but also for the lasting effects it can have.
Check out BHN Rewards’ extensive rewards catalog, and then see how our Salesforce Service Cloud integration makes it easy for agents to create customers for life!
Hannah is a reformed journalist who has more than 15 years of experience and now focuses on content marketing for innovative tech companies.
Hannah is a reformed journalist who has more than 15 years of experience and now focuses on content marketing for innovative tech companies.
