In an effort to streamline our offerings and provide you with the colors and styles that sell the best, the following colors have been discontinued from the GreenBay Engineered Hardwood Flooring collection. Please give us a call at 702-241-2117 if you need to replace any samples or have any questions.

• Monterey Smooth
• Roma Smooth
• Sapeli Smooth
• Old Sepia Smooth
• Sierra Pine Smooth
• Red Silk Smooth
• Single Malt Smooth
• Black Cherry Distressed
• Whiskey Handscraped (Replaced with Brandy)
• Mahogany Distressed
• Durham Distressed
• Charlotte Distressed

One of the most uncomfortable situations any retailer faces is the angry customer. Sure, it is something you would like to avoid, but sometimes, you are faced with an angry customer, and you must have a strategy to manage the situation.

In reality, there is a very simple approach that will get you the best results, no matter whether the reason they are angry is your fault, their fault, or no one’s fault:

• Acknowledge the Situation.  Be sure you understand their complaint and acknowledge it. If a customer comes in loaded for bear and screams at you, “I just saw the same product in XYZ store for half what you charged me!” Lead with, “I understand why you would be angry to find a better deal somewhere else.”
• Empathize with their Emotions. No matter whether they are right or wrong or whether the situation would make you mad, it made them mad. So say, “You are really angry and I don’t blame you for being angry.” Not being dismissed or disrespected goes a long way to removing the sting of the situation.
• Promise to Look into the Problem and Fix it, if Possible. Sometimes the reason they are angry just isn’t something you can fix. But assure them you will look into the problem and get back to them with information you find out. In the example above, go see the other product (and price) and determine what is happening. Was there a sale offered by the distributor? Can you get them to match that price for you?
• Follow-up in the Promised Time Frame. If the customer turns out to be wrong, such as it wasn’t the same product, just state the facts as calmly and dispassionately as possible. Always allow them to save face. “When I first walked in, I thought it was the same flooring, but once I looked at the specifications it was thinner/a different species/a cheaper finish.” If you don’t have an answer by the time you promised, be sure to call them to let them know what you’ve done and that you are still working on it. Communication is the key.

If you respond to an angry customer by being defensive, going on the attack, or dismissing them, you not only risk losing that customer, but all the people that they tell. Remember that a happy customer is usually going to give you two referrals. An unhappy customer is likely to tell 20 people NOT to use you.

However, if you acknowledge the problem, empathize with the emotion, promise to investigate and fix the situation, and the follow-up with the customer, you are likely to have them think of you as a great retailer — even if you end up doing nothing to actually fix the problem that caused their anger.