Don't Let Customers Fall Through the Cracks: How a Simple Reminder Can Save Your Reviews
Don't Let Customers Fall Through the Cracks: How a Simple Reminder Can Save Your Reviews
Here is a story I see more often than I'd like. A business does good work. The people are great, the product is top quality, and the owner cares. But if you look them up online, you'd never know it, because the reviews tell a different story: one-star after one-star, and almost every one of them is about customer service.
The cause is usually not bad service in the usual sense. It's something much simpler.
The Pen-and-Paper Problem
A customer calls or stops in and asks for something. An order, a service request, a repair, a quote. Someone jots it down on a notepad or a sticky note. Then the note gets buried under other papers, and the request is forgotten.
A month later the customer calls back: "Hey, I asked about this a month ago. What's going on?" Someone digs through the pile, finds the note, and says, "Oh yeah, here it is. Nothing's happened yet."
At that point, the customer is already frustrated. Some will give you another chance. Plenty won't. They'll head to Google and leave a one-star review, and that review will sit there for every future customer to read.
Here's the Thing: Customers Don't Care Why
When you run a business, there is always something going on. You might be overwhelmed, short-staffed, or dealing with a rough season. Those are real challenges, and I have a lot of sympathy for them.
But the customer doesn't see any of it. They came to you for a specific thing. If they don't get it, or don't hear back about it, they get aggravated. That's just human nature, and these days people leave reviews easily.
That's why the system has to work even when you're having a bad week. It can't depend on anyone's memory or energy level.
The Fix Is Easier Than You Think
You don't need anything fancy. Even the calendar and reminders app on your phone is better than a notepad. Any time a request comes in, put it somewhere that will bring it back to you.
Here's the basic idea:
Log it right away. Whenever something happens, whether it's an order, a service request, or a repair request, record it in a piece of software.
Get a reminder in a couple of days. The system asks, "Did this get done?"
Check it off when it's complete. If it isn't done, the reminder keeps coming back until it is.
Assign it to the right person. The reminder can go to anyone in your organization, so the task never depends on one person.
That's really all it takes. A couple of button clicks on your phone or computer, and the system takes it from there. If a customer isn't moved to "complete," the system knows, and it nudges you before they slip away.
A Real CRM Takes It Further
A basic reminder is better than nothing, but a proper CRM works even better. A good one lets you build a process for every workflow in your business.
Software today is completely customizable. Whether you run a salon, a butcher shop, a retail store, an HVAC company, or a plumbing business, your CRM can be set up around your own sales and service process. If there's a hiccup anywhere along the way, a reminder goes out automatically.
We use Momentum CRM here at Chattanooga Local, and it's what I recommend. We'll set it up for you and tailor it to the way your business actually runs. But whichever CRM you choose, the important thing is that you use it.
Custom Software Is Within Reach, Too
If a full CRM feels like too much, you can even build small custom tools for your business. In a recent video, I showed a simple app that calculates a delivery fee based on distance from the business. It was built specifically for that company, and it came together quickly. Software today is that accessible.
The Real Cost of Skipping This
When a customer falls through the cracks, you can lose the order. That's bad. But the second-worst outcome might be even more costly: a public bad review that follows your business around online.
I know this one firsthand. I recently saw a great company with good people and a quality product get a brand-new one-star review about nothing but follow-up. It was completely avoidable. A reminder would have prevented it.
Save Yourself the Bad Review
Today's software makes it easy. There's just no good reason to let a customer wait a month for an answer anymore.
If you want help setting up a reminder system or a CRM that fits your business, reach out to Chattanooga Local. I'm happy to answer any questions you have.