When a Dissatisfied Customer Is a Huge Opportunity

We’re highlighting small businesses from around the country as nominated by you, our readers. If your favorite small business is using Twitter to communicate with customers, let us know about it @fbsmallbiz with the hashtag #mysbc, and it may be featured as an upcoming Small Business of the Day.

Small Business of the Day: Fresh Green Light

Who: Husband-and-wife owners Steve Mochel, 47, and Laura Shuler, 51@FreshGreenLight

What: Driver’s education lessons

When: November 2009

How: Both Mochel and Shuler had more than 20 years experience in the marketing world, before leaving their agency in 2008 during the recession.

“Laura had the idea to revamp driving education,” Mochel said. “She had been working on a project for an auto client and developed the pitch, which was basically ‘Apple store meets driver's ed.’”

The couple spent nine months on the concept before opening their business and is expanding to a third location in Darien, Conn., later this year.

Where: Rye, N.Y. and Greenwich, Conn.

Biggest lesson learned from a customer: “A dissatisfied customer is a huge opportunity,” Mochel said. “When you have someone that is upset, or who didn’t get the service they expected, you can go beyond and turn them into a huge advocate for your business.”

To view more Small Businesses of the Day, click our interactive map.