Turning Complaining clients into fanatical supporters of your business
Introduction Not everything goes to plan on your project and sometimes even when it does the client may have misunderstood something or may be concerned by an unexpected cost. How you deal with client questions and complaints not only makes all the difference in resolving the specific problem but has the opportunity to change clients into fans.
So you’ve got a question or an email from the client, they don’t understand a quote or a bill you sent and maybe they are unhappy.
It’s always better to reply with a phone call, in person meeting or a zoom chat, but this is not always possible. Maybe you are not confident enough to explain the issues, or you may have only corresponded thus far via email so you’re not going to switch channels, or it might be late and you just didn’t get to call them, so you’re playing catch-up - email is better than delay any day of the week.
So here is a sample question from Jenni, one of our clients (not her real name). And a reply from one of my staff Barry (again not his real name) and some suggestions about how this reply could be made better.
Sample Email From our Client
Hello Barry,
Sorry it has taken me a couple of days to reply to you.
We are so keen to get this done but have to be honest and admit it is more expensive than we had imagined!
I have a question regarding the labouring costs of $1250 in the preliminary round works - are labour costs not captured in the works itemised in the rest of the quote? What would this amount cover?
Also, $850 to demolish the existing 5 boards of deck seems extreme - could you talk me through this cost please?
Happy to pursue the waterproofing/damp works as outlined and pay labour on an hourly rate.
Thanks Barry,
Jenni
Here is a response from Barry (not his real name)
Dear Jenny,
I guess the main consideration is that it is a budget not a quote, therefore, you will essentially be paying an hourly rate and the cost of materials with a margin, therefore, if a budget like the labouring or an allowance for the rubbish removal is higher than required then that saving is entirely yours. We have just seen at the moment that there has been a spike in material costs, in particular timber and hardwood, so we wanted to ensure that the budget is sufficient to accommodate for this potential rise and fall. The labour budget in prelims was put in to cover miscellaneous labour e.g. material handling etc, but yes the cost in the trades includes the labour for the miscellaneous works. The build-up of the budget for the removal of the existing deck is essentially $500 for labour and $350 for material disposal.
If you want, I am more than happy to briefly talk you through it, as I can explain better over the phone if you like?
Kind Regards,
Barry
Notes on Barry’s reply
Barry seems to have launched into a ramble and I’m not sure that this helps. It jumps straight to the technical aspects and is thick on detail without really getting to the root of the problem, I find it hard to follow what Barry is saying and he left Jenni confused. He stumbled in the first line by getting the spelling of her name wrong.
Here are some things to think about when replying to a client:
Assume that the client request is genuine even if you think they are being unreasonable or seeking an advantage. This is hard at time - clients can be very unreasonable - but even if they are you are much better off playing to the script - the outcome will be better.
Acknowledge the question that was asked – say thanks for getting back to me, thanks for your question
Acknowledge the issue raised and empathise – tell them you understand why it might look expensive, why they’re not happy
Apologise if needed. Even if it’s not clear who is at fault just say “I’m sorry you’re unhappy with this”
Define the real underlying problem – in this case it’s price shock and concern about getting a fair price not specifically the cost of decking, over allowance on some things
Solve the problem – say something like - here’s what we’ll do to solve your problem and offer a solution.
Communicate the solutions in a way that is easy for a client to understand – we’ll only charge you for the work that’s actually done and we’ll do our best to do it efficiently
If you can’t offer a solution commit to resolving the issue or answering the questions in a nominated timeframe.
Consider offering a gesture of goodwill. It only needs to be something small normally that shows the customer that you value their business and want to make things right.
If the timeframe is beyond your control then just say: we’ll resolve shortly
Use simple language – short sentences with the minimum amount of words
Keep it brief and break up long paragraphs - use point form if there is more than one item
Admit mistakes, own them and fix them - don’t make excuses for why you got things wrong.
Use non-technical language – avoid terms like “rise and fall” and other jargon
Spell the client’s name right – its Jenni not Jenny - she probably gets this all the time but it helps every time
Here is better way to respond to Jenni’s email:
Dear Jenni,
Thanks for getting back to us.
I can understand why the price seems expensive.
All prices including the cost of timber – particularly hardwood has gone through the roof recently – a combination of fires 2 years ago, COVID, demand and supply chain issues.
We use trusted suppliers who are known for quality product and good value and we validate their price before placing an order.
We also take your point on the allowance for demolition of the deck - it does look high - but please understand that it is only an estimate.
We will only charge you for the actual cost of the work and we’ll endeavour to get it done as efficiently as possible.
Let me know if you’re satisfied with this response and please don’t hesitate to call me to discuss further.
Best wishes, Barry
Summary:
Of Course there is 100 ways to write Barry’s letter, and all are legitimate and it depends on context and understanding Barry and Jenni have from their prior dealings.
If you’re not sure where to start, try Open AI’s ChatGPT to generate a response for you that you can amend.
Alternatively, upload the email from your client and your first draft of a response and ask “hope can this be improved” is what OpenAI came up with when I asked it to improve on Barry’s letter. But a word of warning, don’t just copy and paste from open AI - AI does not know you and does not know your client and lacks context on the project, what happened before - it’s missing all of the things that are in your head already - use this as a guidance but always read carefully and make amendments. Here is what OpenAI came up with when I uploaded Jenni and Barry’s emails and aske to improve Barry’s response.
Dear Jenni,
Thank you for your email, and please accept our apologies for any inconvenience caused by the unexpected expense.
Regarding the labor cost of $1250 in the preliminary round works, it is important to note that this covers the labor for initial site preparation work. The other itemized works cover material and labor costs for installation. We can provide a detailed breakdown of the costs upon request.
As for the cost of $850 to demolish the existing 5 boards, this is due to the challenging nature of the job and the specialized tools required. The cost breakdown includes $500 for labor and $350 for material disposal.
We understand your concerns about the budget and are willing to work with you to ensure that the costs are reasonable and transparent. If you would like to discuss this further, we would be happy to do so over the phone.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation, and we look forward to completing your decking project to your satisfaction.
Best regards,
Barry
Summary:
Of course there are 100 ways to write Barry’s letter, and all are legitimate and it depends on context and understanding Barry and Jenni have from their prior dealings. But the key takeaways are:
Empathise: Show that you understand the issue their raising and try to empathise
Explain if needed. Answer any questions they have raised.
Offer a Solution, think of the value of a satisfied client.
Buttress Email Response Video
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