Last week I had the pleasure of making one of my regular trips to Prince George. I was joined by our wonderful Vice President, Simone Lis, and Brenda Lea Brown, one of our great partners at BC Securities Commission.
While we were there to connect with businesses in the Prince George area, one of the most valuable outcomes from our trip was connecting to consumers.
Most everyone who visited our booth at the CHBA Home Show knew about BBB and what we do, which made me feel great that our message is getting out there.
Less great feeling, though, was the one thing we kept hearing: many of these people harboured ill-will towards companies they felt had done them wrong. For some, it was an incorrectly tiled roof; for others, it was being dismissed when they raised concerns about the workmanship.
Prince George is a tight-knit community. It’s a marketplace where word-of-mouth is critical when it comes to running a successful business.
At BBB, we view complaints as an opportunity for a business to turn a dissatisfied customer into a lifelong customer. While we were in Prince George, I presented a seminar called “Your Chance to Shine - Diffusing Hostile Customers”. This seminar provides businesses with the tools on how to treat their customers, to leave them feeling that their expectations have been met and that they’ve been treated fairly.
By teaching businesses how to best handle consumer complaints, we help build a more trustworthy marketplace.
Hopefully the next time I’m in Prince George the message from consumers will be different. It will be how a local business did them right, resolved their complaint, and, as a result, earned themselves a customer for life.