Recently, I was trying to teach my 6-year-old the difference between a meaningful apology and hollow words. I’m not sure she got it but as I was explaining the concept I was thinking of all the meaningless sorry’s I get from adults, especially when it comes to customer service. No wonder my little one does it!
There is nothing worse than a prepared script that includes “I’m sorry” or a copy-and-paste email response that includes an apology followed up with a response that has nothing to do with the question that was asked.
In a world where AI is becoming increasingly responsible for responding to customers, I find myself increasingly wondering which is worse. A computer that can’t understand me or a person that doesn’t care about helping me. And yet, I know that both represent a HUGE opportunity for small businesses.
After all, customers want to talk to people who care and no one cares more than a small business that is pursuing a big dream!
But how do those of us with small eCommerce businesses avoid sounding like we are just another business that doesn’t really care? Here are 4 ways we make sure every “I’m sorry” is meaningful:
Never say sorry for something that isn’t your company’s fault. If the shipping carrier lost the package or the customer ordered the wrong size, don’t say “I’m sorry.” It is disingenuous and your customer knows it. Instead, you can say something like, “I’m sorry to hear.”
Get to a solution and make it a relevant one. If a customer's gift card code isn’t working, fix it and tell them that you fixed it. Customers don’t want to waste time reading through lengthy explanations of what went wrong. Tell them sorry and then give them the solution that fits their problem.
Don’t get into a battle over who is to blame. Give them the facts and do what you can to help. I get it…they put the wrong address in when they placed their order and now they are mad at you that it was delivered to the wrong address! It is frustrating to get blamed for something that isn’t your fault but we are trying to keep customers here; not trying to win a battle. There is no need to place blame. Just get on with the answer; “I’m so sorry to hear that it was delivered to the address on Smith Street! It appears that is the address on the original order. Is that address near you? Could you perhaps swing by to see if they have your package?”
Don’t use “apologize”. Research has shown that people feel like people who say they are “sorry” are more genuine than people who say that they “apologize”.
Customer service can be exhausting for small business owners who already have so much else going on. It can also be hard to deal with people who just don’t respect your business and what you have done for them. If you are ready for someone else to respond to your customers, we are here for you. We offer small business to small business email customer service for eCommerce companies whether we do your shipping or not!
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