Keep clients happy to build long-term business relationships

Turn your angry clients into happy ones.

Do it soon after a conflict arises, said Maribeth Kuzmeski, founder of the Chicago business consulting firm Red Zone Marketing LLC.

Kuzmeski also is author of "The Connectors: How the World's Most Successful Businesspeople Build Relationships and Win Clients for Life" (John Wiley & Sons).

"One of the fastest things that travel virally is bad news," Kuzmeski said in an interview. Unhappy clients or customers who get a bad product or service from your company can get on the Internet and tweet about it, or blog it in a matter of seconds, she said.

So, connect ASAP with upset clients and transform their frustration into a strong business relationship that lasts a long time.

Here's how:

• Extend a peace offering. Offer an apology if you've made a mistake. Follow up with a handwritten note, a refund or a coupon.

Kuzmeski learned the value of a peace offering firsthand. She was the client of a company that kept missing project deadlines, which made her unhappy.

One day by happenstance, she had a conversation with a contact person at the company about a professional hockey game that she and her son planned to watch later that evening.

Her son's favorite team won big, and to her surprise, the contact sent him magazine copies featuring the win, a copy of the actual newspaper from the day of the hockey match and a few other items.

Her son was thrilled, and Kuzmeski was touched. "It immediately changed the way I felt about the company," she said. "My feeling was, 'Really, they can't be all that bad. I mean, they are hockey fans, and they were nice to my son.'"

The peace offering helped preserve her relationship with the company.

• Stifle your "strike back" instinct. If a client calls you fuming mad, take a deep breath and remain calm, Kuzmeski said. Defuse your client's anger by immediately assuring her or him that you will make things right. Offer solutions.

Say, "I know we did not satisfy your needs, and I assure you that we will do better in the future," Kuzmeski suggested. "Can I offer you a free gift the next time you stop in, or a discount off your next service?"

You may feel like arguing, or explaining why you are right and why the client is overreacting, but don't, she said. Fighting anger with anger seldom works.

If you work toward a resolution instead of striking back, your chances of keeping that customer for the long haul are much greater, she said.

• Really listen to their concerns. Then they will be inclined to listen to what you have to say, Kuzmeski said. Practice "curious listening," she said. You will differentiate yourself as someone who really cares.

How do you do it? First, repeat the essence of what the miffed customer says. Second, ask questions, indicating that you are trying to understand why the matter is important to the customer.

Third, confirm with the customer that you have correctly understood the concern. Then "listen for the 'remarkable'" -- something about the person that you can connect with later and parlay into an opportunity.

Is he planning a vacation to Paris? Did her company just reel in a big client? Remember that and act on it in some way later. You'll elevate your relationship.

• Have a conflict-resolution protocol ready. Recall situations and how they were, or should have been, handled. "Creating a protocol allows you to chart your path to a resolution and figure out what you're going to say before a problem arises," Kuzmeski said.

Constantly ask for feedback. "Don't be afraid to engage your clients," she said. "Ask them what you can do better, how you can improve. Supply them with feedback surveys so they can anonymously share their thoughts."