7 Tactics to Retain Angry Customers

When you have an angry customer, you still have a shot not just to save them and keep them, but to turn the situation around.

Here are a few basic strategies:

1. Have the CEO talk to them — and if possible, make a commitment to fixing one issue (even if small). This isn’t magic. But customers do appreciate talking to the CEO. Especially if she or he commits to solving at least one big headache. This is 100x better than the CEO hiding from the issues.

2. Let them vent. The customer isn’t always right. But the fault is always yours. Sometimes, they just need to be heard.

3. Share your product roadmap 1-on-1 with them, at least 1–2 times a year. This gives them a chance to provide input. And also, even if they are unhappy, it shows maybe there’s enough coming down the road that it’s not quite worth the effort to really work on switching.

4. Don’t dump them on a mediocre Customer Success manager. Or even a mediocre VP of Customer Success. This will only lead to even more frustration.

5. Give them your mobile phone number. A classic tactic to show you care. Salesforce used to put custom physical “hotlines” in the offices of their largest customers. You picked it up, it connected you directly and immediately to top-tier customer success.

6. Invite them to your VIP customer advisory board, if they are a Top 10 customer. This engages them more. It’s almost always appreciated.

7. Go visit them in person. Go get on an airplane and meet them. If they’ll take the meeting, that’s a sign they can be saved. And it restores some trust.

What doesn’t work well is ignoring them. These days, this happens more and more often, especially if the contract isn’t up for renewal anytime soon. CS teams reporting into sales often sort of hide from angry customers. Don’t do that.