Mastering the art of managing customer complaints can
seem like a thankless job, but keep in mind that for every customer that
shares their worries, concerns or complaints, there are likely more that
did not express their dissatisfaction, and instead simply moved on to a
competitor. Customer complaints can, and should be treated as opportunities.
Customers that are willing to communicate can help provide information
on how your product or service is being used in a specific market segment.
Complaints give you the opportunity to see how your company is falling
short of customer expectations.
No company is perfect. As Dr. Phil often says, "We cannot fix that which
we do not acknowledge." Acknowledging an area in need of improvement will
get you that much closer to perfection. Customers who complain are indicating
where you need improvement; seize the opportunity to improve. Adjust the
systems that are deficient. Mistakes happen, learn from them and prevent
the same errors or problems from recurring.
Communication is critical to resolving customer complaints. First off,
listen to their problem, and empathize this will hopefully help diffuse
their anger. Also be sure to remind them you are on their side, and you
understand their frustration.
Communicate a plan to address their problem, and provide a timetable
for resolution. Unfortunately, not all problems can be immediately rectified,
providing a time table will help manage the customer's expectations. Once
the problem is resolved, communicate the resolution, thank the customer
for bringing the issue to your attention.
Resolving customer complaints builds customer loyalty. Everything was
not perfect, and yet you made efforts to correct the issues that customer
brought to your attention. It is possible to turn customer complaints
into assets. Customers that feel you responded will often become an advocate
for your business.
Track consumer complaints and watch for any patterns. After a complaint
is resolved, conduct a post-mortem, take a close look at the procedures
and systems, implement changes to prevent a similar issue from recurring.
Perhaps redundancy is required.
Of course, there is no need to wait for a complaint to improve processes.
Look at systems or procedures where items might slip through the cracks.
Is there an area that results in customer confusion? Business processes
should be constantly evolving; take a close look at any critical systems
and consider how you can implement changes to prevent any mishaps or problems
from occurring.
When complaints appear in a product or company forum, your initial reaction
might be to delete the post altogether, but a public complaint that is
dealt with in a professional and timely manner is very telling. This will
give other users confidence that if there is an issue they can expect
a reasonable resolution.
Many companies that understand the value of customer feedback solicit
comments from customers, often offering incentives for polite, honest
feedback. If you wish to be proactive send follow up emails to all customers
who have queried your company. This is quality assurance and a great way
to solicit customer feedback.
Few people enjoy dealing with customer complaints. The trick is to use
the feedback in a constructive way and turn criticism into compliments.
