Not every customer is a good one, in fact, quite the contrary. You have to give everyone the benefit of the doubt in any situation, however with the Internet has also come a good deal of fraudulent activity. People also tend to hide behind their computers and say things they normally wouldn't say in a customer service situation.

To know how to deal with customer service effectively, you need to be able to determine people that are just there to waste your time and how to control fraudulent activity...that is, people that buy with the predetermined intention to get a refund or a chargeback.

Dealing with Scammers

There is a fine line between customers just out to get the best for themselves, and ones who really do not like your product. Any business owner will tell you that for every business trying to "scam" people, there are 5 people trying to scam the business! Although Internet businesses have been around for years, so have individuals who have successfully scammed hundreds of Internet businesses.

You have to go no further than a digital product network like Clickbank to see how much consumer fraudulence goes on. People take advantage of the fact that they can get a refund on any product that they purchase from Clickbank. Some people just buy a product, read it or use it, with full intentions to refund the product before the purchase. Some people get a refund within minutes of purchasing a product, to me this is not a just refund.

This is very frustrating as a merchant and an affiliate and leads to a minimum of a 5% refund rate on Clickbank regardless of how good the product is.

So what can we do about this?

We can work on a long term relationship after someone purchases. We can make them feel guilty about requesting a refund by going above and beyond the level of support that is required. Follow-up with your purchasers after they have bought your product, and offer them a bonus just because you though it would be a nice gesture. This will go a long way, and reduce the number of "scamming" individuals from refunding. Believe it or not, some of these people do have a conscience.

We also have to take into account that some people will simply just not use your product / service the way that it is meant to be used, thus it may not work for them. These individuals are prime examples of the type that request a refund. So, follow up with your customers, offer them help, bonus material to make things easier for them. If you aren't selling your own product, you can still work with people who purchase through your affiliate link.

This is where customer service comes into play. If you have gotten in touch with someone prior to buying, they will email you if they have any issues and you can likely resolve any product/service related issue without going through the refund process. You probably also have a trusting relationship at this point, so psychologically someone is going into the purchasing believe they may be scammed, thus leading to less refunds.

So what about people who contact you to "complain" and make "demands"?

DO NOT FIGHT FIRE WITH FIRE. Although someone may be very disruptive and condescending towards you, be the better person and do not stoop down to this level. You probably have heard the saying "kill them with kindness" (not to be mistaken with sarcasm). This truly does work and unhappy customers are likely to recommend you to others if you treat them with respect at all times, regardless of their candor.

This leads into creating long term relationships that will benefit your business for many years. Offer exceptional customer service and you can build a solid foundation of long-term, faithful customers. If someone continues to be negative towards you, regardless of the situation, it is OK to break off communication. At that point they are just wasting your valuable time that could be used to helping others!