GPS Marketers was hired to help market a vacation resort in Mexico. As part of the campaign, they shared the experience of a couple who missed their sunset cruise and what the resort did to make the customers happy. The resort, instead of telling the couple they couldn't do anything for them since they didn't get to the dock on time for the sunset cruise, rented a speed boat that took the couple (at no cost to them) out to the cruise ship. Their arrival to the ship in James Bond fashion was exhilarating for the couple, and they raved about the resort's service. They posted positive reviews on the resort's website and shared the story on their social media pages, vowing that they would return soon with family members in tow. Why did the resort go to all the extra trouble and time to help the couple?

• The resort knows that going the extra mile to help its customers helps provide additional income to associated businesses in the area.
• Because the resort provided extra help to its customers with such a positive result, the operators know they can now increase prices for all other resort services.
• The resort understood the lifetime value of happy customers. Because the customers felt valued, the chances they will return increased significantly.
• Being kind and helping its customers protected the resort from potential litigation by people who are not motivated enough to be on time.

A customer posted a one-star review of a popular restaurant and told how three dead wasps came out of a bottle of barbeque sauce. A waiter was actually at the table when it happened and asked the customer what he wanted him to do about it. The customer took a picture of the dead wasps and tweeted about his negative experience.Given the situation, how could GPS Marketers advise the restaurant to manage the negative publicity?

• Apologize to the customer in person, then turn the focus to mass-marketing campaigns to draw attention away from the incident. Focusing on a single customer would detract from the restaurant's overall mission and operations.
• Extend an apology to the customer as well as a weekly coupon for a free meal for an entire year, and train all employees in extending better customer service. Because customers have increasingly more options, creating lifetime customers is more crucial than ever before.
• Counter the customer's Twitter post with a justification for the incident, citing that the restaurant is in compliance with all regulatory standards. The customer will lose credibility in the eyes of his followers, and they will not gain a negative perception of the restaurant.
• Wait patiently for the situation to blow over and for everyone to forget about it. Refraining from fanning the flames will show that the restaurant is reputable and reliable.

A chiropractor's office contacted GPS Marketers to help with marketing to counteract negative publicity started by a former client who claimed that the wait time to see the doctor on multiple occasions was exorbitantly long. She said that one time she was even forgotten in a patient room for more than an hour and a half. She also stated that when she complained to the staff, they treated her rudely and said she was being unreasonable. The client mailed a letter telling of her experience to several other clients whom she knew and posted the story on several sites. Because the chiropractor's office was located in a small town, the word spread and started to impact business. How important is it for a business to be concerned about unhappy customers who make it a goal to share their bad experiences online?

• It's important to be aware of unhappy customers because it helps a business prevent the customer from returning and complaining even more.
• It's best to just ignore unhappy customers so as not to fuel the flames and focus on attracting future customers instead.
• It's best to limit involvement because being concerned about negative experiences shows a business is too worried about managing its reputation.
• It's important to address unhappy customers because once a customer posts a bad experience online, the negative reviews never go away.