A Complaint? It?s a Compliment! - 7 Tips for Dealing with Complaints at Trade Shows
A Complaint? It's a Compliment! What made you mad last week? In the past week, how many times were you upset by
something? What action did you take? Complain to the
neighbors, make a snide remark to a co-worker, post it on a
list or email a group? Did you just gossip or did you try to
make it into a positive experience? They say we complain to
ten people for every one compliment about a product or
service. Did you call the manager of the company, write the company
president, email a suggestion for improvement? Probably
not. You were upset but not enough to take action. Or you
thought you'd be perceived as a whiner. Or that nobody
would do anything because you're nobody special. Complaints are Compliments People don't complain because they don't like you. They
point out faults and know you can do better. They have
expectations of your product, your service, your reputation
and you've let them down. They complain because they're
disappointed - they like you and want you to succeed. Look back on your history of lost clients. Was it because
they complained or did they just slip quietly away. It was the
final straw - once too often that the invoice was wrong, the
shipment was late, the product was incomplete, the
salesman couldn't solve a problem, the repair person never
showed. Etc. It's one thing to have complaints come into your office and
have them solved. It's quite anther when the complainant
shows up at your exhibit. So, when you're on the trade show
floor, and folks show up with complaints, welcome them.
This is an opportunity to gather market intelligence, find out
what's really happening with your product and service and
keep a client. Here are 7 Tips to turn complaints into positive action. 1. Be Prepared
If you know about problems with product, shipping or sales
staff, you should expect some negative comments or direct
complaints. Don't pretend to be surprised. Decide before
the show how these complaints will be acknowledged. You
can't hide from problems - surely you've made a recall,
rebate, replacement or other adjustment. 2. Make Sure Everyone Knows
Perhaps there were problems resolved at a managerial or
division level. But your booth staff is composed of people
from all levels and areas. Everyone needs to know of
potential problems that might come up. There should be no
secrets. Secrets leak out and become gossip. Gossip can
be deadly. 3. Control the Conversation
The meeting will generally start pleasantly and then get to
the complaint. Sometimes you'll have a rowdy visitor. In
either case, move to the side, or out of the booth, or best yet,
set an appointment to resolve it off the floor. This is a
problem between your firm and one customer - don't make
it part of trade show folklore. 4. Listen Carefully
Make sure you understand what the problem really is. Is it a
specific complaint about one shipping disaster, or a general
blast about your shipping carrier? Resolve the first with the
customer. Report the second, find out if it's widespread and
fix it. You can't afford to lose business because of
middlemen you can't control. 5. Write It Down
Ask the complaintant if you may make written notes as you
speak Say you want to make sure you have all the details.
Review them after the encounter. If the person is upset that
you are taking notes - stop, and put the notes aside until he
leaves. NEVER make people fill out forms. That shows you
anticipated a problem but didn't try to reach out to clients.
They took the initiative and found you on their own at the
show. 6. Appoint an Arbitrator.
There has to be one final authority from your firm in the
booth at all times. This is the person who has the authority
to resolve the problem on the spot, to pass it to the right
level and to calm the complainers. Don't make them fill out
forms. Trade shows are fast paced - they want a decision
now. More critically, they want to know that their input is
valuable to you. Acknowledge and thank them for their
valuable assistance in making your business a success. 7. Out of the Blue.
Sometimes, there will be a problem that's a complete
surprise. Often it's a staffing problem - a rude sales person,
a question of misappropriated funds, an unknown side
deal, an executive with an addition. This is not gossip. It's
unconfirmed information in tricky territory which must be
treated with utmost confidentiality. It's critical to get the
correct information and pass it along discretely to the proper
persons within your firm. Remember, a complaint really is a compliment. Enjoy your next show! Julia O'Connor - Speaker, Author, Consultant - is an expert
in the psychology of the trade show environment. She
understands that one bad experience by a client can
explode into a confrontation on the show floor. Helping her
clients in knowing traps on the show floor. http://www.TradeShowTraining.com -- 800-355-3910
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