Auctor purus, aliquet risus tincidunt erat nulla sed quam blandit mattis id gravida elementum, amet id libero nibh urna nisi sit sed. Velit enim at purus arcu sed ac. Viverra maecenas id netus euismod phasellus et tempus rutrum tellus nisi, amet porttitor facilisis aenean faucibus eu nec pellentesque id. Volutpat, pellentesque cursus sit at ut a imperdiet duis turpis duis ultrices gravida at aenean amet mattis sed aliquam augue nisl cras suscipit.
At elit elementum consectetur interdum venenatis et id vestibulum id imperdiet elit urna sed vulputate bibendum aliquam. Tristique lectus tellus amet, mauris lorem venenatis vulputate morbi condimentum felis et lobortis urna amet odio leo tincidunt semper sed bibendum metus, malesuada scelerisque laoreet risus duis.
Ullamcorper pellentesque a ultrices maecenas fermentum neque eget. Habitant cum esat ornare sed. Tristique semper est diam mattis elit. Viverra adipiscing vulputate nibh neque at. Adipiscing tempus id sed arcu accumsan ullamcorper dignissim pulvinar ullamcorper urna, habitasse. Lectus scelerisque euismod risus tristique nullam elementum diam libero sit sed diam rhoncus, accumsan proin amet eu nunc vel turpis eu orci sit fames.
“Sit enim porttitor vehicula consequat urna, eleifend tincidunt vulputate turpis, dignissim pulvinar ullamcorper”
Nisi in sem ipsum fermentum massa quisque cursus risus sociis sit massa suspendisse. Neque vulputate sed purus, dui sit diam praesent ullamcorper at in non dignissim iaculis velit nibh eu vitae. Bibendum euismod ipsum euismod urna vestibulum ut ligula. In faucibus egestas dui integer tempor feugiat lorem venenatis sollicitudin quis ultrices cras feugiat iaculis eget.
Id ac imperdiet est eget justo viverra nunc faucibus tempus tempus porttitor commodo sodales sed tellus eu donec enim. Lectus eu viverra ullamcorper ultricies et lacinia nisl ut at aliquet lacus blandit dui arcu at in id amet orci egestas commodo sagittis in. Vel risus magna nibh elementum pellentesque feugiat netus sit donec tellus nunc gravida feugiat nullam dignissim rutrum lacus felis morbi nisi interdum tincidunt. Vestibulum pellentesque cursus magna pulvinar est at quis nisi nam et sed in hac quis vulputate vitae in et sit. Interdum etiam nulla lorem lorem feugiat cursus etiam massa facilisi ut.
It’s inevitable that bad experiences will happen as it relates to the journey your customers are on with your organization. Many companies have hundreds if not thousands of customers that are engaging with their product, team members, and services each and every day. And the likelihood that each customer has a seamless and pleasant experience every day is unrealistic.
Think about your own personal experiences with the software products you use each day. You might love a product one day and despise it the next, due to a network error, a bug, or an irritating conversation with a team member. But those bad days are just part of the journey, and with the right attitude and process, can be turned around into positive experiences that build even greater loyalty.
CSMs have the difficult task of taking bad experiences and turning them into powerful moments that can positively impact the customer’s overall journey.
Let’s take a look at 7 ways CSMs can turn bad experiences into success:
For many customers, their first instinct will be to sound the alarm and point out the issue that they’re facing, whether it’s a product bug, a renewal frustration, or a negative experience with a team member. While the CSM may not feel their situation is urgent or more pressing than another issue they are solving, they must take the time to truly seek out what the customer is saying and why it’s important to them. The CSM should ask questions like “Can you explain in detail what happened? Who or what was involved? Is there anything else I should know about what you experienced?” Seek to understand versus just being understood.
If the first step is to understand the customer, then the next step is to listen. Business often takes place over phone calls and emails, so it becomes even more important for customers to feel listened to and heard, regardless of the channel. If a customer feels as if the CSM is disengaged or pre-occupied, then they may eventually stop providing feedback or worse yet—become a silent customer.
CSMs should intently listen to the customer and ask clarifying questions to make sure they understand the entire situation. Even if it seems trite or the CSM believes they understand all of the details, questions can help the customer feel that their situation is important.
After the customer shares the details and the CSM listens and asks follow-up questions, they should also confirm that what they heard is indeed correct. It’s all too easy to get facts switched or to assume some of the details. That’s why repeating it back to the customer and having them verbally respond or confirm via email is critical.
Another benefit of repeating and confirming is when it comes to internal conflict that the customer may have faced with another member of the team. If a problem becomes a “he said / she said” conversation, it’s vital to have all of the facts laid out so the situation can be evaluated fairly.
Customers don’t want to experience problematic situations. They expect the product to work, they want a pleasant experience with their team members, and they come to rely on efficient and effective responses. When one of those things doesn’t happen, then it’s problematic for the customer and causes them either a loss in time, in revenue, or in confidence with the product or company. None of these outcomes are good things, so while the customer may approach the situation a little too harshly, it’s important for CSMs to empathize and even apologize if appropriate. Kind words and an “I’m sorry” can go a long ways in mending a bad situation. Your goal is to help your client really feel that you know where their situation and where they stand.
When something goes wrong, a customer expects that it will be addressed in an efficient manner. They want to know that, for example, the bug they experienced will be passed along to product and will be resolved. While sometimes problems (especially product related or personnel related) can take longer to remedy, it should be made clear to the customer that next steps will be taken. Sometimes those next steps should involve the customer, but other times they will be resolved without the customer’s involvement. If the latter is the case, then the CSM should follow-up with status updates or, more preferably, provide an update when the issue is resolved.
After next steps have been established, a CSM becomes even more credible when they make good on their words of remedying the situation. How many times have you had an issue with a company that you reported, but months later realized you never received a response?
When issues disappear into black holes, customers begin to lose confidence and will, again, become hesitant to share feedback in the future. CSMs should over-communicate throughout the process, scheduling follow-ups to ensure the customer knows the status.
Finally, when the situation is resolved or next steps are taking place, it’s key for the CSM to have a level-set conversation with the customer to make sure they felt heard and that they are satisfied with the solution. The process may not always flow perfectly and there may be negative conversations or hiccups along the way, but the customer relationship should remain at the forefront.
Taking the time to ask questions about how the process went, what could be improved upon next time, and whether or not it impacted their overall satisfaction will go a long way in creating rock solid customer partnerships.
Check out our resources below for more customer success best practices and insights for how your organization can develop a proactive approach to turning bad experiences into customer success:
Customer Success eBooks:
5 Ways to Surprise & Delight Your Customers
Customer Success as a Culture: Customer Success Leaders Edition
Customer Success Blog Posts:
6 Listening Techniques of Great Customer Success Leaders
The 3 Keys to Building Relationship ROI
