Nobody likes to deal with angry people, especially when they’re your customers.
But the thing is …
Angry customers are often a part of doing business.
Unfortunately, unhappy customers can also do real damage to your bottom line. Over 60% of consumers will switch brands based on a bad customer service experience.
But, did you know that angry customers can also benefit your business?
Keep reading for a closer look at 10 reasons why angry customers are good for business.
- Listen and Better Understand Your Customers
One of the best ways angry customers can help your business is through the honest, straightforward feedback they provide.
While unhappy customers might make up a very small portion of your clientele, they can really help you understand the pain points your customers are experiencing with the product.
Once you understand how your business displeased a customer, you can start to learn possible solutions for those issues. Businesses that do not listen to unhappy customers are never able to meet their true potential. There is usually a good reason why a customer is not satisfied with a certain aspect of your business. It’s because there is still room for improvement.
The more insight you gain into your customers, the easier it will be for you to meet their specific needs. Even the most irate customers have something valuable to share with you, which is why it’s so important that you listen to what they have to say.
There are a lot of different things that you should know about your customers, including what they purchase and why. An angry customer will tell you what is making them so frustrated and upset, and therefore what it is they really want.
- They Help You Find Better Solutions
If you really want to find a better way forward with your products, check out what your least happy customers are saying. They may not represent all buyers, but they are the voice of a very vocal minority.
One point for listening to upset customers is to use the information you get to make improvements to your business as a whole. These customers will help you to come up with more effective ways of satisfying them, whether or not they realize it.
Businesses that thrive are constantly looking for direct ways to make their customers happier. It’s very likely that your business can find more effective solutions when it comes to giving your customers what they want. Happy customers tend to spend more and they are loyal.
- Lets You Know Who Cares
While some angry customers may just be, well … angry, many of them are people who are genuinely passionate about your brand or products. They’re just disappointed with the latest iteration.
It’s important that you ask these customers what exactly they don’t like about your products or services. The more details you get, the more information you have to make the necessary improvements for the future.
It’s a mistake to disregard anyone who gives you any kind of feedback about your business, especially when it’s obvious that they really love what you have to offer in general. Many businesses ignore these people chalking it up to “you can’t please everyone.”
Your most passionate customers are sometimes the ones who provide the most insight into ways of improving your business.
- Help You Understand Your Products
Another one of the benefits of customer complaints is that they can help you better understand the ins and outs of your products. Often this is best done with the help of some outside perspective.
It can be easy for businesses to get somewhat complacent about the products they make. Angry customers can often reveal things that you never considered before as well as specifics of how your products can be improved .
The larger viewpoint you have on your products, the more opportunities there will be to market the advantages/uses of these products.
- Apologize When Needed
Unhappy customers also give you the opportunity to apologize when it’s truly needed. Righting a wrong makes a difference and will go a long way towards helping you improve and maintain a quality relationship with your customers.
Most customers respect a business where employees own any shortcomings and regard any communication as an opportunity to create new possibilities for products as well as improved relationships.
- Connect With Your Customers
Struggling to connect with your customers?
Even though they’re not happy, communicating with less than pleased customers gives you a chance to connect with more of your customers.
If you avoid making contact with angry customers, you’ll miss out on what they have to contribute. Almost every customer has something valuable to teach you. Making an effort to connect with even the most difficult customers will almost always make for a rewarding experience.
While it may not seem like all customers appreciate the time you spend talking with them, the time spent does express a commitment to hearing their input. You cannot run a successful business without connecting with your customers on a regular basis.
- Crush Expectations
Before you write off your next disgruntled customer as one more problem to deal with, consider the opportunity you have to turn a negative situation around and crush future poor expectations.
Get creative when you are talking with angry customers so that you can come up with a solution that works for everyone.
Raising future expectations regarding your business is the best way to increase the sale of your products. The more positive experiences customers have with your business, the more positive your interactions will be. Happy customers share their opinions with others and tend to buy more products.
- Gain Outsider Perspective
Sometimes you’re just too close to your own viewpoint for your own good.
Another of the benefits of handling customer complaints is the ability to get some outside feedback–even if it’s negative.
Tunnel vision about your business and its products limits opportunities to break new ground. Negative feedback can be a stimulus for this. Open your ears and mind to hear this as constructive criticism.
One of the biggest benefits of handling customer complaints is that you will stop viewing your own business through such a biased lens. Your customers can be the ones that see your business and the products it produces most clearly.
- Angry Customers Keep You On Your Toes
Angry customers can also help keep you on your toes. Nothing keeps you nimble like being forced to react to a negative situation caused by a disappointing product or service.
Listening and engaging while angry customers are communicating, can resolve an issue that could turn into a bad review via social media or the internet.
- Learn to Turn Non-Believers Into Believers
One of the biggest benefits of customer complaints is learning how to turn dissatisfied customers into satisfied ones. While you can’t please everyone, it really helps to know how to restore trust in your brand.
There are lots of ways to win people over, and every angry customer that calls your business is a chance to do just that. You will need to get creative, but it’s well worth the effort. You can always find solutions that will turn even the most belligerent customer into a loyal patron.
The art of winning over angry and upset customers involves listening to what they have to say and then offering an amenable resolution. This can be a highly beneficial experience for both parties involved. If you really want to convert your angry customers, you need to go beyond just superficial niceties.
Angry Customers Are Good for Business: Putting It All Together
Dealing with unhappy customers is never easy.
But, despite the headaches, angry customers are good for business–you just need to know how to deal with them.
