If you provide a customer service e-mail address -- and you should -- that's an invitation.

And an invitation to your readers to comment, complain or otherwise express themselves is an unspoken promise. It's a promise to listen and respond. And unless your request or offer specifically states otherwise, you had better keep that promise.

People will generally tolerate unbelievable levels of incompetence so long as they feel they are receiving proper attention and/or compensation. Make sure you give it to them when you've screwed up -- and consider giving it to them even when you didn't.

Quick lesson from a year spent doing damage control: Even a very small token can completely reverse a furious user's position -- especially when accompanied by a sincere apology and admission of error.

Best practices for restoring harmony with unhappy users:

1. Respond to ALL user e-mail immediately -- ideally, within an hour of receipt. You would never just leave a customer service phone online unmanned, don't assume e-mail can wait. If you don't know an answer, find out. If someone else needs to address the problem, forward the e-mail and politely remind that person that a response needs to be sent out that day. If a user request/problem cannot be resolved by the end of the business day, the user should at least be notified that someone is working on it.

2. Always apologize. Even if you believe the user is the dumbest, rudest person alive and completely wrong about everything, apologize for the confusion or misunderstanding, say you're sorry he/she is upset. Politely point out the correct version of the facts, but never antagonize. 'Sorry we didn't make that more clear.' Sympathize with their frustration -- we've all experienced atrocious service. If it applies to the situation, tell users that others have made the same mistake. It will make them feel better.

Warning: If a particular customer service situation involves a matter sensitive enough that litigation could result, do not accept blame whether it is deserved or not. Over the phone, say only, 'I'm so sorry you're upset. Let me get your contact information and I will forward this matter to someone who can properly address it.' Via e-mail, simply forward the complaint to the appropriate party marked 'urgent.'

3. Explain. Tell users what went wrong. Tell them why it won't happen again -- or why it very well could. Be truthful. Don't say you're working on it if you're not. If you know there's a problem but nothing is being done, simply apologize and say 'We're aware of the problem but unfortunately we don't have the resources to fix it at this time.' People generally understand limited resources. They do not understand -- or forgive -- lying.

4. Compensate -- and do it before they ask! Within whatever means your organization has available, provide some small token compensation to users who have been genuinely wronged or inconvenienced. A month of free service or membership in an 'elite' group...something that may not cost you much will go a long, long way in mitigating long term damage to the relationship. And don't make your (already upset) user ask for compensation. Particularly if someone has been without a service for which she/he pays, make it standard practice to credit the account. You didn't provide the service, return the money paid for it.

March 28, 2003