Ease Customer Anger at Delivery Delays

You and your suppliers may be keeping inventory and staffing thinner than in the past. As a result, deliveries of products and services can get delayed. To protect repeat business, ease the anger of your customers about delivery delays. Researchers at Arizona State University found that complaints about delays usually come in one or more of three flavors:

• The customer says about the retailer, "They don't appreciate the bother this delay is causing me." Allow the customer enough time to tell you, at least briefly, about the bother, and then respond with something that shows you understand the specifics of what the customer said, For instance, you might reply, "I understand what a nuisance it causes for you to have to put your project on hold because of the late delivery. How can I make things right?"
• "They're trying to hide something." The customer thinks you're intentionally evil. Reply by emphasizing your ethics. Find out the real reasons for the delay and then tell the customer. You could end up saying something like, "Our regular supplier might be having trouble getting financing in this tight market. I'll look into other supply sources. Or would you prefer to cancel the order at this point?"
• "They're making me look bad to others." When the delay in order delivery occurs at the restaurant with business associates around the table, or the news of a special order delivery delay is presented in front of the customer's family, the chance of anger is greater. To avoid this, aim to discuss the delay and the remedies one-to-one, retailer-to-customer, out of earshot of the customer's business associates, family, or friends.

     Please note that when the customer is thinking, "They are responsible," your response should be "I will take care of this." This eases anger.