No matter how well you run your business, at some point in time someone will become unhappy. It’s just a fact of life. It’s not important that a customer is dissatisfied. What is important is how you handle it. Your process for assisting in and resolving customer issues will form the basis for public perception of your company, and this is why it is vital to handle it correctly.

First, you should know that the customer will be measuring your level of sincerity in settling their complaint. And don’t think they won’t be able to tell right away if your efforts are half-hearted. They can.

Fortunately, there are several excellent steps you can take. We’ll talk about a few here, but be sure to follow along to Part 2 for the finale.

1) Plan your customer experience recovery the way you would plan for an IT disaster.
What does this mean? Well, no doubt your company has an elaborate safety plan in the event of a system-wide computer crash, security breach, or other IT disaster. This took forethought, planning, perhaps consultation with experts. No less effort should go into your policies for dealing with dissatisfied customers.

2) Immediately apologize.
If you’ve ever been on the complaining end of the stick, you know how infuriating it can be to encounter an employee who makes the problem seem like your fault, or who claims it isn’t her area of responsibility. At the very moment when your ire is most aroused, this is the last thing you want to hear. So train every employee from top to bottom to say those two little words before they say anything else: “I’m sorry.” And teach them how to sound like they actually mean it.

3) Be a human.
Many companies are so wrapped up in procedure, they forget to simply be a human when dealing with human customers. Empathy is crucial. Put yourself in your customer’s shoes. Listen. Try to understand what has made them angry or unhappy. If customers perceive they are being maneuvered in some way, you’ve already lost out.

So far, we’ve looked at three important ways to begin the process of gaining back customer loyalty. We’ve learned the importance of sincerely apologizing to customers and doing what you can to get back on track. Remember, your customers do keep score of your actions, and they do tell their friends and, in some cases, the world via the Internet.

What other steps can you take to solve the dilemma of the disappointed customer?