If you discover that the customer didn’t complain about a specific thing but instead was ranting about nothing in particular, that could be a ticket to the bin.
The internet and its many perils…argh. For instance, take a look at emails. Aside from providing us with the luxury of secure communication, you’ve got to deal with those spiteful, hateful and in some cases, inhuman messages. How could someone be that rude? But then, you can’t possibly escape the claws of offensive emails- not if you are involved in email marketing.
Having this in mind, you need to understand how to defend yourself; without experiencing a drop in your subscriber’s list.
Be calm
One of the frankest advice I can give you is to wait. Yeah, wait. Of course, you are not waiting for an apology email from the person or a second episode of the nasty email. You and the sender are two different people, with different characters. However, you both are subject to a factor- impulse. Most likely, the sender gave in to the urge to pour out his anger over a service-gone-wrong or a product malfunction in an email. So, instead of responding hastily, take time to digest every bit of complaint the customer offered.
Mind your approach
Recall how awful it felt thinking about the words you should not have spoken in your last argument; which you did anyways. I’m sure you wouldn’t want that feeling repeated after sending the response email. Once spoken- in this case, sent- your words cannot be retrieved. Instead, they vanish from the air into the mind of the receiver. This is why you must be cautious of your manner of approach to your response email.
Say sorry
Most people find it difficult to admit their errors, their mistakes. Fun fact time? You could be one of them. Although owning up to your mistakes doesn’t sound exciting, it is worth it. After understanding the root cause of the rude email, try to see your fault. Even if the manner of approach of the customer wasn’t a good one, yours shouldn’t complement its negativity. Take full responsibility for your shortcomings. At times, what customers want to see is a friendly character- not just your business personality. Owning up to where you got it wrong would bring out this warm appeal. Ensure you appreciate the subscriber for his criticism. Then, try to ask why. Startup a conversation with the individual. You would be shocked at how sober he might become after recognizing the inappropriateness of his abusive email.
Send it on a trip to the trash bin Truth said, some messages don’t need replies. After sleeping on the impolite words sent to you, if you discover that the customer didn’t complain about a specific thing but instead was ranting about nothing in particular, that could be a ticket to the bin.
Some people like to complain- it’s their hobby. The truth is, you can’t do anything about them; it’s just who they are. So, the best action you could take, to avoid any further complications is to let it slide. However, if a robust criticism was expressed, be sure to respond appropriately.
