Make them love you.

This was originally an email to my team as I stepped out of the day to day at #gifted and into the chairman role, and given even our engineers liked it, I thought it might be beneficial to share more broadly.

I know it’s hard to translate how to excel at customer service and success, especially when a lot of it comes from years and years of experience - obviously I have had this in spades dealing with complaints at Wink, TRF & gifted, or selling, or building relationships through personal networking / consulting gigs. But I want to give you some actionable tips that I think will help :). Our goal isn’t just to solve problems, but to make customers love us. There is a reason everyone thinks "oh I know taryn!" or refers people to me/us across my companies - Ive worked tirelessly to build that love across my businesses, making sure models, clients, influencers always felt seen, heard, and understood. Now the baton is with you to keep this going :) 

1) Always be human

People appreciate authenticity. It's better to respond with real empathy, saying things like, "Gosh, I’m so sorry about that, let me look into it—what a weird one, I’ve never seen that before!" instead of sounding robotic with something like "I will process your refund." Be empathetic and human, because customers are more likely to trust us and bear with us through challenges if they feel heard.

2) Choose your battles wisely

Prioritise based on the potential lifetime value of the customer. For a small brand that's less likely to grow or come back (e.g., a brand that received six months free but only has a small following), it’s okay to offer brief, direct responses. For bigger, influential brands that may open doors to more business, invest time in building a relationship. Research their history with us, explore why they’re churning, and try to solve their pain points. Even if they decide to leave, make sure they leave with a positive impression, because they might return when we've addressed their issues, and we want them to think "They were great to deal with, and nice people, even though it didnt work out this time"

3) Respond quickly—don’t drop the ball

24/7 responsiveness is often expected in customer service in most businesses now. I dont think that's required at #gifted, but I’m a firm believer that same-day replies are crucial in all business communication, and it's even more critical when handling upset customers. Always acknowledge their issue immediately, even if you can’t fix it right away. Keep them updated at every stage and make sure to close the loop. The goal is for us to have the last word—not in a controlling way, but to ensure customers never feel like they have to chase us up.

4) Be genuinely curious

When a customer reaches out, think of it as an opportunity to learn about their experience. Ask questions that dig deeper: “I noticed you're saying you didnt get a good result, but you had over 80 people apply, what was it that led you to only want to gift 2 people?” or “Can you tell me more about how you're using the platform so we can make it easier for you to remember to reply to creators? are you sharing accounts? do you mark emails from us as promotional? would an app be more helpful?”  etc. The more we understand their perspective, the more valuable solutions we can offer. Curiosity also demonstrates that we genuinely care about solving their problem.

5) Solve problems proactively

Don’t just resolve the immediate issue—think ahead and prevent future ones. If a customer is reporting a problem, there’s a good chance other customers are encountering it too. Fixing the root cause before it escalates saves us from firefighting later. If we can't fix it right away, let the customer know we’re taking it seriously and give them a timeframe for a resolution and make sure its logged in Jira and that our CPO & the dev team are across any recurring themes/trends (ie 'lots of people saying they dont understand what we do really - I feel like the home page isnt really answering the questions that I repeat daily when i do these calls" etc)

6) Exceed expectations when possible

One of the best ways to turn a frustrated customer into a loyal one is to go above and beyond what they expect. Whether it’s a free trial extension, expedited support, or a personal follow-up call, customers remember when they’ve been treated exceptionally well. When we over-deliver, even in small ways, it reinforces the idea that we truly care about their success. One less angry google review coming up! ;)

7) Know when to escalate

Not every problem will be solvable - I often had to escalate things as you would see on slack. If an issue seems like it requires technical support, a higher level of approval, or a more strategic conversation, don’t hesitate to escalate it early. The sooner a problem is in the right hands, the quicker we can resolve it. Daily stand ups are a great way for you to check in on the status of those so you can update the customer, or advocate for them (ie "Guys, I still have 2 customers complaining about shopify, what is going on, I need this fixed!")

8) Build trust through honesty

Customers value honesty over perfection. If we’ve made a mistake or can’t deliver something, being upfront and transparent about the situation builds long-term trust. Saying, "I’m really sorry, we missed the mark on this," often lands better than trying to hide the mistake. Most customers will forgive if we own up and take responsibility quickly.

9) Remember the big picture

Each customer interaction is part of a larger relationship. Our job isn’t just to "fix" their immediate issue—it’s to ensure they see long-term value in what we offer. If we can connect today’s solution to a future benefit, we’re doing more than just solving problems, we’re building loyalty. The goal isn’t just to keep customers happy but to make them love us—because when they do, they’re more likely to recommend us, return, and stick with us for the long haul. As a start up, we are going to have a lot of ups and downs and having people who have genuinely bought into our journey and story is so so important, and every customer touch point is an opportunity to do that.