Equestrian Entrepreneur Q&A: India Wilkinson Answers Your Questions (August Issue)

Question:

What do I do when a customer isn’t happy? I feel like I try to please everyone, but I do get the occasional customer that sends or posts a negative comment about my business.

- (anonymous)

India’s Answer:

I love this question! First, you will never ever make everyone happy, it’s just not going to happen. Stay focused on the solution to the problem your customers have, and be kind to everyone. With that said, the negative customer is inevitable and although it’s not personal – it feels that way, doesn’t it? Your business is your baby, and when someone criticizes your baby, you want to rush to defend it and explain why that person is wrong. You need to do the exact opposite. Typically, people just want to feel heard and when they come out swinging, you need to remain calm and let them know you hear them, and you appreciate them letting you know their frustrations. With an online business, we are at the mercy of the internet and technology glitches that are out of our control, but even I used to have panic attacks when I’d get a complaint about something not working perfectly. It took some time (too long!) for me to understand that it’s just part of the business.  Now I turn those frustrations for the customer into opportunities to connect with them, and I really do appreciate them letting me know the glitches because that’s how we’ve been able to make so many improvements to the customer experience at Mane Street Market. If a customer sends you a negative message – take a deep breath. You don’t have to respond immediately, and it’s always best to respond without emotion. If you need a few hours to breathe through it – take them and respond with something like, “Thank you so much for letting me know, I am so sorry for your frustration. I appreciate your input and will do my best to fix that issue. Please use this coupon for your next purchase (or something similar to that) as my thank you for your patience.” Remember, people want to feel heard – if you are defensive or tell them that they are wrong, it’s most likely that things will escalate. The customer isn’t always right, but they are your livelihood and a good experience even when things go wrong will always work in your favor. 

Question:

It seems like I can’t be my true self on social media since I also have a business page. I want to be able to express my opinions online, but I feel like that might hurt my business. What do you suggest?

- (anonymous)

India’s Answer:

Ahh, this is a struggle for many people – I see it every day when someone is posting highly opinionated or controversial subjects on their personal page and are also promoting their business page. I feel strongly that a business owner needs to be neutral on their personal page because you are literally your brand on social media. Whether you choose it, like it or don’t like it, you are always representing your brand. There’s no real separation these days on social media with “business” and “personal.”  If you decide that you want to be emotionally, politically, religiously charged or ultra opinionated on your personal page, it’s absolutely your right to do so. Just know that there are consequences, and you may be eliminating half of your potential market by posting subjects that create controversy. Of course, I will do business and support people that have different beliefs than I do – it doesn’t make a difference to me. What does make a difference is if they are attacking others or inciting social media riots on their personal page – I just don’t want anything to do with it, so I am probably going to just steer clear. Think about when you go into a retail store, do you want to see the owner’s political or religious opinions posted on the walls? It’s that business owner’s right to put whatever they want in their store, but they know that the potential controversy could hurt their business. It’s ok to post about things you believe in if you can keep it positive without incurring a social media debate that could scare people off. People are attracted to the positive, so just keep that in mind – you are always representing your business and your brand.

*send your questions to support@manestreetmarket.com

India and Justin

India Wilkinson

Owner of Mane Street Market

India is a lifelong horse owner/competitor and has decades of experience in the marketing/sales industry, with the last 15 years specifically in the equestrian marketing arena. India offers her expertise in helping sellers market their sales horses and buyers find their new equine partner through Mane Street Market. Her vision is to match up buyers and sellers on a premium online platform.

Please visit www.manestreetmarket.com and/or download the free Mane Street Market app to see our available sales horses. Be sure and reach out to India at support@manestreetmarket.com if you have questions about marketing your sales horse or equine service.

This article is from the August issue of Equine Business Magazine