A few poor online reviews can cost you a lot more than just making a customer happy – even if their demands are unfair.

Most major brands understand the cost of an unhappy customers:

It’s more costly for them to remain unhappy than to refund them – even if they don’t deserve the refund.

The sports retailer REI understands this.

I once bought a rock-climbing rope from them that I misused.  It quickly frayed and became unsafe.  I brought it back, feeling I didn’t get my money’s worth even though my own abuse is what resulted in the damage.

They refunded me without question.

It cost them the price of one rock-climbing rope.  But it earned them a lifetime repeat customer.

Go into any fast food joint like McDonalds or Taco Bell.  Order the biggest chow-down item on the menu.  Eat 3/4 of it then go to the counter as say it tasted strange.

They’ll give you a refund.  They know the burger tasted just the same as all the others they thrust-out everyday.  But they also know that one unhappy customer isn’t worth the profit from one burger.

Small business can learn a lesson from these policies:

When someone doesn’t feel they got what they paid for, they feel stupid.  Consumers who feel stupid because they engaged with a business tell everybody about it, including with online reviews.

Chances are the cost to your reputation will be far more than what it would cost you to make it right with the customer.

And of course, most people won’t try to get a refund on a burger just to get their 4 bucks back.

If you screwed it up – make it right.  If the customer is pushing things, try to make it right anyway.

Your reputation is worth it.