You cannot make everyone happy. This goes for your personal and professional life. What you can do is work with people to make them happier. Remember this as you learn more about how to deal with customer dissatisfaction.

When a Voiceover Customer Complains

You have worked hard on a project. You believed it sounded great, and the client would love it. Unfortunately, you were wrong. The client calls you and says that he or she cannot accept it because it is not what was expected.

Your first reaction may be disbelief. You may then feel angry. Finally, you may feel bad for yourself for spending all that time on it and then bad for the client who did not get what he wanted and needed.

It is never easy to hear criticism. The first step in dealing with it is to understand that this happens to everyone. The next step is to help the client.

Listen carefully to what the client says to you. If possible, write down the details of why he or she does not like what you have done. When the client is done, you can proceed with the next step – negotiating.

Sometimes, clients will say that they will try someone else. This means that you do not get the chance to make the client happy. This can be crushing, but if that is what will make the client happier, you must respect that and wish the client well. However, if the client is willing to give you another chance, you should offer:

• A discount – clients love it when they can save money. Usually, 10% to 20% will make the client happier about the situation.
• Additional communication – must likely you worked on the project without much guidance from the client. For the second round, let the client know you want to work closely with him or her to ensure the second draft is acceptable.
• Quick turnaround – The client expected the project to be completed on a certain date. Now that it is not what he or she wanted, more time is added to complete it. So that the client does not have to wait a lot longer for the completed project, make it a priority.
• Updates – As you are working on the project, let the client know how far along you are with it. This will show the client that you are working hard and quickly on it to give him or her what is needed as quickly as possible.
• An apology – While the client may not accept your apology out of frustration, it is always a good idea to remain respectful. Apologizing for the delay will show that you truly did not mean to miss the mark with the project.

You can only do so much. If a client does not give you a chance to make it up, you have no choice but to move on. Review what happened, and learn from it. Use that knowledge to make future clients happy.

Just because you failed a project does not mean you failed as a voiceover artist. Keep moving, learning, and succeeding in your voiceover business!