When in Doubt, Pick up the Phone

When dealing with an unhappy client, how do you remedy the situation? On today's episode of Journey to $100 Million, listen in as Kevin explains the difference in responding to a client that is unhappy via email vs. picking up the phone. When a conflict arises, it is easy to default to a simple email. An email is easy to shoot back, you are able to "take care" of the situation more quickly, and you are able to avoid the possibility of getting talked to in a not-so-nice manner. But, when you send emails back and forth, especially in conflict situations, sometimes the situation can worsen. When receiving or sending an email, it is possible for the tone to sound mean or angry depending on how you read it. Recently, there was a situation with an unhappy client, and we emailed back a response in order to quickly assist this client. Although the response was intended to be nice and we actually even granted a favor, it escalated the situation. Instead, this email was translated by the client in the wrong tone - and the client was upset at the email. This just goes to show how easily an email can be translated incorrectly. If we pick up the phone and talk it out, these types of situations can get resolved in an easy and nice manner - and end a lot better. You may even realize a client is not actually upset at all, you may have just read their email wrong. The phone isn't broken, so pick it up and give your clients a call. Because, in some cases, an email can turn into a nightmare. — Erik J. Olson is an award-winning digital marketer & entrepreneur. The Founder & CEO of Array Digital, he is also the host of the Journey to $100 Million Flash Briefing and daily podcast, and the organizer of the Marketers Anonymous monthly meetups. — Kevin Daisey is an award-winning digital marketer & entrepreneur. He started his first company when he was just 23, and is the Founder & CMO of Array Digital. Kevin is the also the co-host of the Journey to $100 Million Flash Briefing and daily podcast, and the co-organizer of the Marketers Anonymous monthly meetups.