Owners, Consumers and Supporters,
It’s been an incredible year here at OwnerListens. We’ve used the last hours of 2012 to reflect on our journey.
Starting with a one location alpha test in January, we now have over 600 businesses listening in 30 US states and three Canadian provinces. Consumers have left over 6000 private feedback messages for businesses instead of posting them online.
Beyond the numbers, it is the stories of our customers’ successes that make all our hard work worth it.
Just a few days ago, OwnerListens helped a restaurant avoid major embarrassment after a customer reported a troubling experience using OwnerListens. The customer explained that a waiter had taken one of their dishes off the table before it was finished and brought it back at the customer’s request. The customer believed they saw that the dish had been put in the garbage and retrieved from there. Needless to say, the customer and the rest of the dining party were grossed out. They detailed the story through OwnerListens, mentioning their plan to notify the local health department. The customer also noted he was a frequent Yelp user.
Receiving this message via text on his phone, the manager quickly reacted. First, he apologized. Second, he began investigating the serious claim. Looking at the security video, the manager ascertained that the dish had been put on the counter and not in the garbage. The waiter picked it up from the counter and brought it back to the table. By sending this explanation to the customer the manager was able to avert a major crisis. The manager compensated the customer with a gift card covering a meal for two at the restaurant. The customer accepted the explanation and the compensation, giving the restaurant another chance to win them over. Moreover, the restaurant improved the waiters` training by telling the story and explaining how to provide better service in the future (for example, to always ask before removing a plate from the table).
Stories like this make us so proud.
The customer gets an issue resolved and gets compensation for their trouble. The business learns from mistakes, avoids a reputational disaster and has an opportunity to recover a customer. This is true proof that direct conversation is a better tool than online disparagement. It encourages us in our mission to help every customer get better service and every business give better service.
Our passion for helping consumers and businesses on the road to better service is only growing stronger with time. We look forward to an even more fruitful 2013.
We thank you for your support and for giving and receiving the gift of feedback and wish you and your families a successful new year!
Happy 2013!
Adi, Oren and the OwnerListens Team
