How to turn unhappy customers into big spenders

A five-step win-back campaign for guests who left you a bad review.

It is easy to write off a customer who has left a negative review. With the right service recovery strategy in place, though, you can turn unhappy customers into loyal ones.

Here is the recipe for a simple campaign to win back unhappy customers, in five steps.

1. The data

For this campaign, gather a list of all customers who have left you a recent negative review, meaning one to three stars.

Most online review platforms provide a contact list you can use for this.

2. The trigger

The trigger here is time-based, and your timeframe should be the last two days. A quick response is of the essence for a successful recovery.

The campaign can easily be turned into an automated workflow, so you do not have to update and send it by hand every time.

3. The messaging

First, apologise that your service did not live up to their expectations.

Emphasise that their experience does not meet your usual standards, and that you would appreciate the chance to try again if they will give you a second chance.

Also give them a way to contact you directly to handle the matter further if needed.

4. The offer

An apology alone will not be reason enough for your customer to come back. For this campaign, include a voucher or an offer through loyalty.

Here is what your email could look like:

Subject line: [Name], we're sorry. Will you give us another chance?

Thank you for your honest review. We're sorry that your visit to [venue] wasn't as expected.

As your experience was not up to our normal high service standards, we would like to try again.

Therefore, I have attached a voucher for [offer]. Will you give us another chance?

You can also reach us on [contact details] to provide any further feedback.

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5. The outcome

If you nail their follow-up visit, chances are high that they forget about their initial negative experience.

Do not underestimate the knock-on effect of a positive turnaround experience. Customers are more than likely to share your outstanding service with others and recommend you.

Need help building the right audience for personalised email and SMS campaigns? Our team is happy to run you through it.