#3 Do not Deliver to the Promise

Promises are meant to be kept and fulfilled. If you cannot fulfill, then call the Customer, explain and negotiate another solution. Keeping promises with cCustomers facilitates trust and reliability. It should be one of the top priorities of a company to carry out their promises made, as it plays a big role in the cCustomer experience. However, as we are all human and mistakes do happen, sometimes promises cannot be met. However, the way a company handles the mistake, tells people a lot. Some cCustomers understand that things can go wrong and are understanding, if the company tried their best. They are willing to forgive and give a company another try if they see that the company actually put in a lot of effort to keep the promise. If a promise is broken, a company must make it up to the cCustomer by following up and negotiating with them. An example of this could be, “I am sorry our cookies did not include chocolate chips as mentioneds, however, we can give you a free cookie in replacement”. In this case, a company offering something for free can definitely allow the cCustomer to forgive and keep coming back. It is also important to keep the cCustomer in the loop so that they are not left in the dark when things go wrong. In this way, the cCustomer is included in the process and know what to expect. The ideal scenario, in case the company realizes that the promise cannot be fulfilled, it has to let the Customer know before the problem materializes in the hands of the Customer. The ideal recovery includes a call, or a message, that informs of the problem, apologizes for the misfortune, explains what has been done so far to rectify the problem, offers a solution to the problem, offers a gift or an advantage to the Customer and finally thanks for the understanding and always gives the Customer the choice to cancel the order, however offering an incentive for them not to do it. If possible tell the Customer that on their next order thay will have a special treatment, a discount, a gift, free shipment, or some other kind of concession to be sure that they will come back.

Although some cCustomers can forgive and forget, others are not as understanding. Many cCustomers, if they experience a broken promise, they would be very angry and leave. They may also leave a bad review and tell everyone they know to not buy from the company. This especially pertains to those who are not loyal to the company. Therefore, not delivering to promises can drive away many cCustomers, current and future ones and should be avoided as much as possible. Not delivering to a promise, breaks the trust between customer and company. Trust is the essential element of cCustomer loyalty and at the same time, most cCustomer purchases are made through cCustomer loyalty. The consequences of not delivering to a promise can lead to fewer sales and profit. It can also damage a company’s reputation.