Want to Drive Improved Customer Satisfaction? Try a Virtual PBX

Striving to achieve a higher level of customer satisfaction is a challenge for any organization receiving more negative than positive reviews from customers. In fact, even when one negative review if received, the business owner can feel as though they have been personally attacked and easily get defensive.

Lashing out at customers, no matter how much they might deserve it, is never the right approach, however. To truly improve the customer experience – especially one that was lower than expected – the owner needs to evaluate the situation, apply the necessary damage control and implement a strategy for turning that negative situation into a positive success story.

The perfect example of what not to do was highlighted in a blog by virtual PBX provider, Nextiva. The company highlighted the downward spiral of Amy’s Baking Company Boutique & Bistro when the restaurant was dropped from a popular restaurant show. Owners then received a slew of negative comments on their social media pages.

Owners Samy and Amy Bouzaglo responded by lowering themselves to the level of responding just as negatively. In fact, so much emotion was wrapped up in their responses that they tended to spiral out of control. Available for the world to see, their responses provided the perfect example of what not to do when negative comments hit a little too close to home.

The virtual PBX provider turned to customer service expert, Micah Solomon, for advice. The first words of wisdom when faced with a negative comment or review from a customer: take a deep breath. Responding quickly to customers online is critical, but not if it means the resulting comments come out of the heat of the moment instead of rational thought. Calm communication and approaching the comments as a challenge to be overcome are key to positive resolution.

Second, the company should own up to it if the customer’s complaint is valid. It is perfectly appropriate to offer to contact the customer privately to get the rest of the story and then offer a resolution that generates satisfaction. This doesn’t guarantee that the customer will leave the public platform when posting negative comments. If this is the case, the right approach is to take a kind and sympathetic tone until they tire of the rampage and move on to something else.

Finally, it’s also important to keep in touch with the unhappy customer. It’s very possible to turn this individual into the most loyal customer when the right approach is taken. When the extra mile is taken to achieve satisfaction in the resolution, the customer feels valued and may just take advantage of the opportunity to make the personal connection.

So what does the virtual PBX have to do with customer satisfaction? If a business has the right tools to integrate current programs and applications into the communications strategy, unhappy customers can be reached right away and resolution achieved much more quickly. After all, most customers are just looking for value in exchange for the money they send the company. The virtual PBX can help to deliver on that value in each and every transaction.