Dealing with an unsatisfied customer is something even the most successful businesses experience. However, having an unhappy customer doesn’t mean a brand is lower quality than others. It’s how each business responds to these situations that makes a real difference.
Gift cards can be a great way to recover customer satisfaction after they have a less-than-adequate experience with a brand. Below are strategies you can use to leverage digital gift cards in the right way.
Respond Quickly to Build Trust
Whenever a customer reaches out with an issue, not hearing back right away can cause minor problems to escalate. Providing a quick response even when you don’t have all the answers shows them that they’re worth the business’s time.
Maintaining a respectful and helpful tone from the beginning sets expectations for the level of support they’ll receive. This quickly builds trust as you work together to find a solution.
Personalize the Recovery
Customers know whether or not an apology is authentic. One-size-fits-all apology letters can quickly miss the mark if they lack a personal touch. Take time to listen to how a customer feels, where things went wrong, and how you can fix them.
When offering a gift card as an apology, make sure that it’s tailored to what seems most important to the customer. This has a much better impact than just giving a generic “sorry for the inconvenience.”
Offer Unexpected Value
Fixing things isn’t the same as making things right. If a customer had a poor product or service experience, they expect the issue to be resolved. However, by going above and beyond to make things right with them, you’re more likely to leave them in a positive frame of mind.
These situations are a good opportunity to offer a digital gift card. When customers aren’t expecting this type of apology, it can build goodwill that turns a frustrated customer into a brand ambassador.
Drive Future Purchases
Gift cards are a great way to help customers feel appreciated and drive future purchases. They’re essentially a refund that customers can use wherever they see fit, and help to encourage customers to come back and have a better brand experience.
By giving your customers a reason to come back and retry their original experiences, you show that you’re willing to accept the issue and are willing to make up for it.
Turn a Bad Customer Experience Into a Positive One
For most businesses, turning a bad customer experience into a positive one is a rite of passage. While it’s not always possible to please every individual on their first experience with the brand, it is possible to take active steps to make unhappy customers feel heard and cared for.
Digital gift cards are one tool you can use to do this. By following the strategies discussed, you’ll increase the likelihood of turning unhappy customers into long-standing brand ambassadors.
Author bio: Cindy Mielke is passionate about the incentive industry. In addition to her role as Vice President of Strategic Partners here at Tango, she is a Certified Professional of Incentive Management who proudly serves on two industry boards. When she’s not working, Cindy enjoys spending time with her family—including three cats, two dogs, and a horse—and sharing her love of nature as a Nebraska Master Naturalist.
