Comments on: How to Win Customers and Piss People Off (a Tale of Customer Service)

By: Linda

Linda — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 10:46:47 +0000

This is a really great site to share experiences and also educational for companies. There are small businesses that do not understand the importance of customer service but still think they do a better job than big companies such as O2 who will try to do everything in their power to piss you off.

Great site

By: Lisa the flower girl

Lisa the flower girl — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 10:55:08 +0000

Good to see they followed up the issue quickly and rectified it. Too many small businesses ignore little complaints nowadays

By: Marketing for Small Businesses » HOW NOT TO handle a customer complaint

Marketing for Small Businesses » HOW NOT TO handle a customer complaint — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 07:57:27 +0000

[...] I did! Professional blogger Ask Kal wrote a post about it, How to Win Customers and Piss People Off (a Tale of Customer Service) comparing her recent good experience with @BestBlooms when making a complaint, and mine. She and I [...]

By: Wendy Riley-Biddle

Wendy Riley-Biddle — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 04:50:37 +0000

I agree Kal. In this day of social networking it is so easy to spread the word about bad service – the old saying about an unhappy customer telling 10 others is nothing!. You really have to look at the big picture and weigh up the risk to your business in pissing off a customer, even if you don’t agree with them – but never ever tell them that!

By: Kalena Jordan

Kalena Jordan — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 04:41:12 +0000

@Matt @Craig @CopperBot yes and even if you personally think the customer’s wrong, I think in business you need to act in the spirit of “the customer is always right”. What might not seem a big deal to you may seem a huge deal to your customer.

By: CopperBot

CopperBot — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 04:21:17 +0000

Great article kalena. Nothing gets me mad faster than a company that arrogantly places blame on the customer without so much as a “We’re sorry we didn’t meet your expectations.” That’s the great thing about the internet and the age we live in though. People are connecting again, in ways never before imagined and in numbers that dwarf the small town customer base that some of these businesses are used to dealing with. Nowadays you have to be a fool to think a poor CS experience won’t hurt your reputation.

By: Jo-Ann Best Blooms

Jo-Ann Best Blooms — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 02:08:37 +0000

Ok as a follow on to the comment above – I am the north island florist.

First off we DID pay for the order twice as it was OUR mistake – not theirs. One of our team members forgot to add the kete wrap.

We did send the order through the Teleflora network – we had contacted kalena and told her that was what we had to do as we are in Auckland. Sent the order through at full value just as customer paid.

I had just personally logged on here as I am about to email Hornby florist with the link with a big thank you from us personally and saw these comments so wanted to follow up.

By: Craig McFadyen

Craig McFadyen — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 20:55:59 +0000

I have been in customer service for nearly 15 years and I am constantly amazed by people who complain (or even worse who don’t) but then continue to spend money with that organisation.
My rule is very simple – I only spend my hard earned money with businesses that deserve it and treat me like I want to be treated – IMPORTANT! If they don’t then I simply refuse to go back.
The failing in all this are a couple of points 1) A lot of people don’t complain to the business directly but all their friends so the business never has a chance to put it right 2) A lot of people in business are brilliant at what they do hence they are in business BUT have never been trained in business such as sales or CS techniques.
One formula I use is LVC – Lifetime Value of the Customer….

By: Kalena Jordan

Kalena Jordan — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 11:36:30 +0000

@Lea – you’re absolutely right. The South Island florist was Hornby Florist and deserve praise as well. I will edit my post to give them kudos. Thanks!

By: Web Media Daily – July 29, 2009

Web Media Daily – July 29, 2009 — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 10:10:25 +0000

[...] How to Win Customers and Piss People Off… Ask Kalena [...]