New research reveals a formula for communicating an apology that increases customer satisfaction and loyalty after a service failure.
. . . the inevitable customer crisis can become one of your best opportunities to deepen customer commitment—if you handle the failure properly.
Source: Sales and Marketing Management, May/June 2019. Link. Tim Riesterer shares research results showing a clear and consistent apology framework you can use to build and deliver your apology message and positively influence even your most angry and bitterly disappointed customers.
The order of five elements is below:
- Offer of repair
- Acknowledgement of responsibility
- Declaration of repentance
- Explanation of problem
- Expression of regret
Also see: Elevating the customer experience, Sales and Marketing Management, March/April 2019. Link.
In a 2018 survey . . . 80 percent of companies believe their customer experience is not only better than average, it’s “superior.” . . . in the same survey, only 8 percent of customers believed they were receiving a superior experience.
INSIGHTS: These articles will work well for a team meeting and discussion.