When working in sales, it’s inevitable that you’re going to run into a customer who wants to cancel an order. While they think that they may have good reason for cancelling, such as changing their mind due to the cost of the service, there are ways you can turn a cancellation into a sale, according to 3C Contact Services, the leading provider of outsourced call center solutions.
Your organization should have a plan in place to recover sales. If the problem can be fixed quickly, the customer may reconsider their decision to cancel their order. You can also use the customer cancelling their order as a learning opportunity on how to improve your products and services so you can avoid cancellations in the future.
- Revisit why they made the purchase in the first place: Make a relevant connection to make it useful to them again. Maybe it was a gift they bought for a family member, or it might have been an appliance they bought for their first house or condo. Probe to find the reason why they wanted it and recreate that interest.
- Match them with a similar product. If they no longer want the service they are cancelling, try to find a similar product your company offers that matches their needs. That way, you can still walk away from the interaction without a full cancellation, and everyone is happy.
- Keep in touch with the customer, Even if the sale doesn’t happen at that time, build a rapport and offer to keep in touch. Make them aware of any deals coming up that they may be interested in on similar products and services; this may lead to a sale at some point down the road, and it will also leave a lasting impression that other, similar products can’t compete with.
- Sweeten the deal: If the customer is cancelling their order because of a service-related issue, offer to throw in a discount on another product or service that would benefit them as well. In many cases, discounts are a great way to make the customer feel special and recognize their importance.
- Reward a customer for their loyalty: If they are a long-time customer, you should be able to proactively offer something that makes them understand that their long-time business is appreciated. Operate within your organization’s guidelines, but see how far you can extend yourself. Most importantly, don’t wait for the customer to ask about what you should be offering them. The customer will remember this if they need to call later on with a service issue, and they will be less likely to cancel if they feel their business is appreciated.
Once the cancellation has been turned into a sale, don’t forget to follow up with the customer a few weeks down the road to make sure that they are enjoying their purchase and there are no problems. This small gesture of kindness will go a long way towards building customer loyalty.
If all else fails, the experts at 3C Contact Services tells clients to let the customer cancel the order. Having a no-hassle cancellation policy can be just as effective as offering something in exchange, and it doesn’t mean that they won’t be back again—especially if a timely follow-up is arranged.
