Okay, you blew it. Whether through no fault of your own or perhaps just a few ill advised words, the response from your clients to your most recent email blast has been overwhelmingly negative. You find yourself with visions of your business collapsing, your finances swirling down the drain, and for all you know, perhaps a good old fashioned tarring and feathering.
Or perhaps you misfired on quoting a price, and a $1000 table becomes a $100 table. Quite a difference, right?
It’s a well known fact that once you hit send, you should be prepared for whatever is in that chosen message to be out there forever and ever amen. You can’t get it back, and there is always the possibility that it can come back and bite you, usually at the most inopportune times.
So how do you respond? Is there anything you can say or do that will get you back in the good graces of your clients? Do you have a future with these people? Well, the answer is yes. People are usually very willing to forgive the occasional gaffe or misjudgment, but you may have to swallow your pride and go ask for it.
First thing, make it right. As soon as you discover your error, send out the corrected information. Most people realize that they aren’t going to purchase a new Lexus for $4500……so be upfront and tell them that you forgot the extra zero. Nobody in their right mind is going to try and hold you to an obvious mistake.
Be human. Be willing to admit that you make mistakes. A recent political statement was in fact exactly right… corporations are people, people are prone to errors in judgment and execution. Make sure your apology is properly worded and appropriately humble. Again, people are willing to forgive, but diminishing their importance or trying to act as though you are above them will do little to win friends and influence people.
Take one for the team. It doesn’t matter who dropped the ball, let the buck stop with you. Taking full responsibility (even if it wasn’t totally your fault) really raises you up in the eyes of your clients. So resist the urge to blame your ad agency, marketing department, or personal assistant or whoever, and let the buck stop on your company name.
In the case where product descriptions are bungled or items are mispriced, be sure that everyone knows that there was a mistake made. Some people may have already bought the item in question, but you should make sure that everyone who may have even laid eyes on it is properly informed of the error and made aware of the correction.
Take it to the top. If you are not the president or CEO of the company, have them be the ones who sign off on it. Having the top of the heap be the bearer of the message will carry far more weight than the same message coming from some low level exec.
Balance the scales. No, you cannot sell a new Lexus for the aforementioned $4500, but you can compensate for the mistake by throwing in a few perks, such as free oil changes for the first year or a discount on accessories. Going the extra mile to try and make up for the mistake really polishes up the good old corporate image. Will it cost money? Yes, but it will pay off handsomely in the long run when it comes you customer satisfaction and retention.
Leave the lines of communication open. Nothing grinds my gears more than receiving an email from a company that cannot be responded to. Make sure your return email addy is one that gets delivered to a real person, preferably you, and make every effort to get back with anyone who contacts you.
Finally, how do you know when to send an apology? The common prevailing wisdom is that if something feels wrong, then it probably is and needs to be addressed. If you are genuinely unsure, however, ask yourself two questions:
- Will my customers be inconvenienced if I do not send an apology?
- Was the mistake serious enough to warrant a heartfelt apology?
If you answered yes to either of those questions (or both), then start writing. It’s time to make this thing right.
Finally, take the time to compose the apology carefully. Email is one of those forms of communication where, if it can be misconstrued, then it will be. Responding too quickly, in the heat of the moment, may actually produce counterproductive results. Compose your apology, walk away, and come back to it later. You can look at it with fresh eyes and gain a better perspective on what is working and what isn’t.
If you do email marketing long enough, you’re going to eventually screw up. Determine now just how you are going to deal with it, then go and do the right thing by your clients and by your company.
