Better Business Bureau: How to Apologize and Keep Customers

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) (bbb.org/nebraska) has addressed how a business owner should handle a dissatisfied customer, whether it’s in person or through a negative email, call, or online review. In line with the BBB standards for trust—to be responsive, be transparent, and embody integrity—offering a genuine apology and attempting to fix the problem is always the best approach. Business owners should act quickly before potentially losing the customer. Recent studies show that 89% of consumers begin doing business with a competitor following a poor customer experience.

Whatever the cause, dealing with frustrated customers is part of the job. Even the most successful brands make mistakes from time to time despite their best intentions, but what you do after the mistake is what matters most as your actions can determine if a customer stays or goes. The BBB offers the Three S’s to keep in mind when apologizing to a customer:

Speed – Customers expect businesses to respond to their emails within an hour and 53% expect responses to negative reviews within a week.

Sincerity – People can tell whether you’re being genuine or artificial. Take the time to understand each customer’s complaint and offer an apology that doesn’t appear like you’re just going through the motions.

Solution – No apology is complete without some sort of solution or form of action on behalf of the business. Whether it be a refund, a discount, a gift, or some other tangible resolution, make sure the solution meets your customer’s needs so as to reconcile the mistake.

The overall mission of the Better Business Bureau is to be the leader in advancing marketplace trust. Learn more online at bbb.org/nebraska or call (402) 391-7612.