It happens to everyone. Customers will get upset with some aspect of your product or service. Periodically customers will get upset with your company. It may be something minor or significant, but in the customer's eyes you have let them down. How you service that upset customer often determines if that customer will continue to do business with you, what they will share with others, and their degree of loyalty to your organization.

Learn the skills necessary to apologize and the importance of being empathetic in responding to your customer's concerns. Keeping the interaction professional and not being defensive is also key. Turning that upset customer into an advocate of your business needs to be part of your customer retention strategy and training plan.

Barry Himmel is dynamic presenter with over 20 years’ experience supporting the equipment industry. Barry and Signature have developed and delivered a wide range of programs designed to enhance the customer experience and generate additional revenues for the dealership. His interactive sessions help participants understand how important delivering exceptional service can be to their reputation, bottom line, retention, and customer service standards.

Barry has published numerous articles in equipment and rental trade journals focusing on customer service and sales skills. He has a bachelor’s degree from Miami University and MBA from the University of Dayton.