We are firm believers in the importance of client and pet notes. At My Reservation People, we pull up a client file and skim the notes and icons the second we have a client on the phone, and we coach in-house Reservation Specialists to do the same. Ideally, we’ve read the notes before the call, but that’s not always possible with an inbound caller. Sometimes, we come across labels or icons that paint the client in a negative light, which can carry much more weight than you might imagine.

Do you have an “evil customer” or “mean client” label in your CRM that is used to label challenging pet parents?

With the proper considerations, client notes and icons are an integral part of delivering a successful customer journey.

Let’s start with the pros.

Personalized Service: By notating details about client preferences, past interactions, specific needs, and anything the pet parent shares, conversations can be tailored to ensure pet parents feel heard, understood, and confident in the care you provide. This attention to detail builds stronger client relationships and enhances the overall customer experience.

Relationship Building: By referencing past conversations, shared experiences, and personal details, you can engage in meaningful and relevant conversations, enhancing trust and loyalty between your business and the client.

Safety & Care: Client notes and icons provide details that give your team pertinent information as they go about caring for pets and pet parents. When a pet parent casually mentions that their dog had ACL surgery a few months ago, your pet care team should see that in the notes and take that into consideration when planning activities and matching the dog with other canine friends.

Brand Reputation and Legal Expenses: Detailed notes help you reduce the risk of errors or misunderstandings, protecting your business and your team. For example, if a pet parent tells you their dog is a jumper, you can assign a “jumper” icon to the dog’s file and make notes to expand on what the pet parent shared. That simple icon can save a dog from being lost if they jump a fence or hurt if they jump into an area with the “wrong” dog.

When you have specific notes to refer back to as you speak with an unhappy pet parent, they are much more likely to trust your explanation, saving you valuable time, costly legal fees, and the nightmare of a tarnished reputation.

Now, some possible cons.

Bias and Prejudgment: Employees may develop biases or prejudgments about clients based on negative labels. This can influence interactions, leading to less than positive experiences for both client and employee.

Customer Service Quality: Negative labels may affect the quality of customer service provided. Employees are less motivated to offer exceptional service to clients they perceive negatively, resulting in a decline in customer satisfaction.

Employee Morale: Constant exposure to negative client labels can contribute to a toxic workplace environment. Employees will begin to perceive clients as the enemy and anticipate that every interaction will be negative. The feeling of “Ugh, they might be mean to me” can lead to frustration, a decline in morale, and employee burnout.

Customer Retention Efforts: Employees are less inclined to invest time and effort in clients with negative labels. The label may be for good reason, but it may also be the opinion of only one person who encountered the pet parent when they were having a really bad day.

Employees may struggle to maintain a professional demeanor when interacting with clients who have been given dramatic labels like MEAN or EVIL since even the simplest label can cause them to feel anxious. One Reservation Specialist explained it this way:

“A few times, a client has been marked “VP” meaning “very particular,” and I would start sweating before calling them because I expected the worst, but I go into those calls being over the top nice, and so far, I’ve been very successful with “VP” clients.”

Obviously, there are clients that are not right for your business, and it has been determined that they are not welcome back. A skull and crossbones, a red x, or the red frown provided by Gingr are all great in these cases. These icons allow the Reservation Specialist or Customer Service Representative to prepare for the conversation or ask a manager for help. However, for a client that can be a just bit tricky or a little demanding, a less aggressive option is best. After all, if you can make those clients happy, they can turn out to be your biggest spenders and best brand ambassadors.

Here are a few labels we’ve seen over the years that let employees know what to expect without instilling fear or creating an overly negative perception of the pet parent. Gingr even allows you to select when and where these icons pop up.