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Delayed Deliveries
July 25, 2007
It cannot be stressed enough that delivery commitments be kept. If your company promises next-day delivery, the item should reach your customer the next day. Imagine the late birthday, anniversary, or Christmas gift missed because of your store’s failure to meet explicit deadlines.
A store owner’s worst nightmare, but it can happen to even the best of us. What do you do to satisfy a customer who didn’t receive timely delivery of an item intended for his/her anniversary?
- Do you discount the present item?
- Do you give them a discount on future sales?
- Do you replace the ordered item with one of greater value?
- Do you promise to hand deliver the item when it comes in?
- Do you refund their money…knowing they might never come back and see you?
The unhappy customer has a legitimate complaint. You do not want your unsatisfied customer to simply leave quietly, later telling everyone they know not to do business with you. Small business need to be flexible when resolving complaints. It’s important to give your customer’s a variety of choices until one of the options satisfies them.
When breaking the news of the missed order, be sure to tell the customer right away and never wait until the customer arrives to pick up the item. Some business owners feel this kind of news should be shared face-to-face. If so, then you’ve waited until the last minute and made the customer drive all the way down to your store knowing their order isn’t there for pick-up.
There are time it’s not the fault of your store but instead a supplier; therefore, you should never deal with any supplier who doesn’t deliver on time regardless of their tempting terms.
In the future, it also helps to maintain a good relationship with each of your customers. People who like you and love your products and/or services are more likely to forgive you when things don’t go right.
Posted by Shanu Singh Guliani on July 25, 2007 | Comments (1)
