How To Win Back Customers (or, An “Epic” Apology)

While I’m on the subject of customer service…here’s an example of how to bring customers back after you’ve managed to tick them off.

 

Last month I received less-than-stellar treatment at Epic Burger. I was especially disappointed because I’d enjoyed the place so much on past visits that I’d made a special trip to introduce my son and his friends. Being a writer, I, of course, wrote about it. Being a redhead, I didn’t mince words.

 

Epic owner David Friedman could have grumbled at the bad press. Instead, he sent me a personal email. In it he apologized for our experience and asserted that he’d taken care of any issues. He also wanted the opportunity to make up for it by treating us to lunch.

 

I believe he’s made those changes and I’m going to take him up on the offer. Truth is, I love their food and I appreciate their environmentally-conscious philosophy. I also appreciated his humor in the email: my blog title was “An ‘Epic’ Failure”; his email subject was “An ‘Epic’ Apology”.

 

Friedman followed three steps that have made this particular ticked-off customer a hopeful evangelist once again: he acknowledged, he apologized, and he fixed it. Every business hits a few potholes. The successful and long-term businesses fill them before they blow out too many tires.