Leading Results

How do you deal with a really frustrated customer?  Do you just hope they’ll go away?  or do you make you best efforts to try to satisfy them with a mutually agreeable outcome?  The internet, and especially blogs like this one, have given consumers a voice that you, as a vendor, can not compete with.

Large companies are getting smart about getting community feedback, and companies like Communispace are giving them ways to get customer feedback real time and in the market research phase. So they are being pro-active.

But what about you?  How will you react when a customer gets mad and posts information about their experience with you?  How will you avoid the situation in the first place.  Make sure you know the answer before it happens.  Because it will.

I’ve been a bit delayed in writing this – computer crash – need to set up a new system, etc, etc.. anyway, I wanted to put up a note about a very cool event in Harwichport MA I went to this summer.  The downtown merchants all got together – I assume throught he chamber of commerce – and set up a music stroll through the downtown area on a Wednesday nite.  (I understand this is an annual event).

Talk about a great way to drive traffic during slow times – the downtown main street was PACKED.  5 different bands of different styles, playing at intervals along the street.  The shops stayed open.  And people were buying.  Not just food and drink, but all kinds of items.

The shopping mall has replace the main street as our place to stroll, shop and get entertainment.  The merchants of Harwichport did a great job of bring the entertainment of the mall to the downtown – likely a little cost and great benefit.  What does your community do to support your local commerce?  What can you learn from this?