You are probably reading this post because the topic caught your attention or, maybe a friend sent the link to you after skimming through to make sure that the paragraphs had enough value for you. I might be wrong about that, but one thing I am so right about is the fact that I am going to show you how much of a blessing an unsatisfied client can be. Before then, here is a quick disclaimer: This post does not in any way preach poor service delivery to get this blessing in disguise.
Now that that fact is established, let us get straight into the business at hand, answering the question of whether or not your unsatisfied client is a blessing in disguise. To do this, we need to understand who an unsatisfied client is.
Who is an Unsatisfied Client?
An unsatisfied client is an individual that feels a business did not provide a product or service as expected. Unlike an angry client who will want to complain and vent some steam at you and your organisation, an unsatisfied client is unhappy but not angry. Their complaint is usually void of confrontation and aggressiveness. Instead, they respond to their unpleasant experience with regret, not passion.
Notable characteristics of an unsatisfied client are:
- Their ability to describe a specific problem that has disappointed them and not angrily firing off complaints.
- Their ability to actively bring their disappointment to your attention in an attempt to receive help.
- Being open to receiving a solution most quickly and efficiently.
Now that you know this, you are probably wondering why anyone would be unsatisfied with a product or service that you worked hard to create.
Why Should Anyone Be Unsatisfied with Your Service or Product?
Two reasons.
- Inability to identify client expectations.
- Inability to meet client expectations.
More often than not, businesses make the mistake of putting their expectations before the clients’. They are more concerned about making a profit than identifying what clients need or expect.
When a product or service does not live up to expectations, it could sometimes be attributed to the over expectations and the changing needs of the clients, other times, it could be as a result of the rapid improvement in the technology which may cause your clients to compare the services you provide with those of the competitors, which may lead to dissatisfaction.
How is an Unsatisfied Client then a Blessing in Disguise?
The famous business magnate, investor, author, and philanthropist; Bill Gates, answered this question in one of his quotes.
“Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning”.
Unsatisfied clients provide a first-hand perspective of how they feel about your product and services with feedback that enables you to make changes that will positively impact your business.
Let’s discuss a few reasons why an unsatisfied client is a blessing in disguise for your business growth.
1. An Unsatisfied Client Helps You Identify Areas in Need of Improvement in Your Business.
Because of an unsatisfied client’s experience with your product or service, he or she can highlight a weakness your business has or an area in need of immediate improvement.
Asides from that, unsatisfied clients help you identify the loopholes of service delivery, gain insights about people’s perception of your brand and help you learn about the most desirable features and how you can build better products.
2. Complaints from an Unsatisfied Client are a Reality Check for Your Business.
Unsatisfied clients provide a first-hand perspective of how they feel about your product and services with feedbacks that enables you to make changes that will positively impact your business.
They give you insights into people’s perception of your brand and help you learn about the most desirable features and how you can build better products.
3. Unsatisfied Clients Help You Create Sales Opportunities
A customer’s complaints about an issue with a product or service can create a sales opportunity. I’ll tell you how.
In a situation where an unsatisfied client makes his or her complaints known, a trained customer service professional in your team can quickly get to the root of the problem to discover if additional add-on products or a technical support plan can help the customer. That single action can create additional profitability for the business while satisfying the customer, as the product is now serving his needs.
4. An Unsatisfied Client’s Complaint Helps You Understand Your Target Audience Better
The focal point of every successful business is knowing and understanding clients’ needs. Having in-depth knowledge about your clients increases the effectiveness of your sales and marketing efforts. Making the effort helps to gain insights into your products and services.
A client’s complaint enables you to:
- Gain insights on who they are, their interests, what they think about you that can help you structure your approach to meeting their expectations.
- Learn their psychology and use it to improve your products and services.
- Improve your service delivery to retain your brand over others.
5. An Unsatisfied Client’s Complaint Helps You Improve Your Business Process
Complaints from an unsatisfied client about delays, checkout issues or fulfilment problems may indicate opportunities to improve your business process. Identifying patterns in the complaint (what people often complain about) will help you employ new business processes and service delivery.
Fixing the process may lead to smoother transactions, happier customers and, most importantly, improve profits.
How to Deal with an Unsatisfied Client
1. Discover what the client is unhappy about and why?
2. Ask two simple questions:
- Did we perform to your expectations during this project?
- What can we do to improve our product and service delivery?
3. Analysis, find the root-cause and then improve on it.
4. The best approach to solving the issue of customer dissatisfaction is setting proper expectations.
Summary
To Avoid Client’s Dissatisfaction:
Be proactive.
Leverage various mediums to understand your clients’ needs.
Surveys and meetings are a great way to go about it.
Be responsive.
Do not wait forever to resolve a client’s issue. Resolve it immediately. Waiting might turn small problems into bigger ones.
Be honest.
Always tell your clients the truth. That will eventually help gain your client’s respect and trust.
Telling customers the truth usually goes over better than lying to them. It will eventually help gain the customer’s respect.
Be realistic.
Understand that not all client expectations are attainable. In cases like this, you might want to discuss your suggestion and recommendation with the client. If they are uninterested, it is okay to suggest that they take their business elsewhere to get their desired results.
