Question:
If you dropped the ball with a customer, how can you redeem their trust again?
Answer:
By “dropped the ball”, you can be referring to
two different situations. First, it was your company who messed up. Your company didn’t fulfill the promises you made. Or, second, it was you, personally. You didn’t do what you said you would do, or you somehow personally violated the customer’s expectations for you. Regardless, the remedy is similar.
You
must make a personal, heartfelt and detailed apology, as soon as possible. And you must do that to everyone who is impacted by the problem. If the problem was your company, apologize on behalf of the company. If the problem was you, personally apologize.
You do that first, because that eases the tension in the situation
and acknowledges the impact on the customer. Remember, you are building a relationship with these people, and, as in all relationships, sometimes things don’t go quite right. An apology is a great way to clear the air. Most people will tend to accept your apology and not hold it against you. Everyone makes mistakes.
