| No one likes to receive a complaint -- but complaints | | | | creating a more positive customer experience and |
| are worth their weight in gold if an organization learns | | | | increasing employee engagement. |
| from them and then uses the information to improve | | | | 5. Verify before taking action. Make sure that you |
| the customer experience. Customer complaints can | | | | ask what would make the customer happy and then |
| be used to build a better customer experience and | | | | verify before taking any action. Customers will rarely |
| turn a dissatisfied customer into a raving fan. | | | | ask for more that we are prepared to offer, so ask |
| A good response to a customer complaint also | | | | what will make them happy first. Once they have |
| ensures you'll receive that particular complaint only | | | | made their suggestions, then verify that if you are |
| once. The company will know how to handle that | | | | able to provide that remedy, the customer will be |
| issue in advance in the future | | | | satisfied. Nothing worse than working to resolve an |
| | | | issue only to find that the customer is still not happy. |
| 1. Customer complaints are usually not personal. When | | | | 6. Move quickly to resolution. Once a resolution is |
| employees understand that the customer's anger is | | | | agreed, move quickly. When an upset customer calls |
| directed toward the company, not the employee, | | | | and receives an immediate resolution to their |
| they are better able to deal with the emotions of | | | | problem, they will be much more likely to return as a |
| the customer. If the employee doesn't take a | | | | customer. In fact, a good recovery builds greater |
| customer's comments personally, it will help them | | | | customer loyalty than simply delivering as expected -- |
| remain calm. Remaining calm will, in turn, help calm the | | | | so make sure to use this to your advantage. The |
| customer more rapidly. | | | | exact opposite is true, however, if the customer is |
| 2. Focus on the customer rather than the complaint. | | | | "given the runaround" by being transferred from |
| Customer-focus will help the employee empathize or | | | | employee to manager to higher level executive |
| "walk in the shoes" of the customer. It will help them | | | | before their problem is handled. |
| listen more sympathetically to a complaining customer | | | | 7. Provide tools. Give employees options when dealing |
| -- which is often all the customer wants. Plus it will | | | | with difficult customers or those with an issue the |
| help them remain calm and polite while a customer | | | | employee can't resolve. For example, if a customer |
| vents his frustrations. | | | | bought an item on clearance, and the store's policy is |
| 3. Attitude is everything in creating satisfied | | | | to never accept returns on clearance items, allow |
| customers. Even the most irate customer will usually | | | | employees to offer the customer a complimentary |
| calm down when dealing with someone who is | | | | gift card, an extended warranty on the item, or a |
| obviously doing their best to understand the | | | | similar bonus. While it may not be exactly what the |
| customer's situation. If employees truly listen to a | | | | customer asks for, it will show customer appreciation |
| customer complaint, valid or not, the customer will at | | | | and help them see that the company is going out of |
| least feel as if they are being heard. Sometimes | | | | its way to satisfy the complaint. There will be times |
| that's enough to completely diffuse a negative | | | | when nothing can be done to satisfy an unhappy |
| situation. | | | | customer. At that point, the customer service |
| 4. Empower employees to handle customer | | | | employee must simply defer that customer to a |
| complaints themselves. Obviously, there will be a | | | | manager or supervisor. But employees who handle |
| point when a more senior person must make a | | | | customer service complaints quickly, efficiently and |
| decision in dealing with a complaint, but empowering | | | | professionally will minimize those issues and will give |
| employees to deal with common complaints and | | | | employees a sense of ownership in their jobs and in |
| issues on their own will go a long way toward | | | | the company. |