How would you face an upset customer?

Or if you’re the business owner or manager and you rely on your staff to resolve customer complaints, how do you know it is done successfully?

Do you have an effective complaint management system in place in case of problems or breakdowns?

As a growing business, you will inevitably receive negative feedback or harsh criticisms from customers who are dissatisfied with an aspect of your product or service.

Complaints are simply statements of frustration, disappointment or dissatisfaction due to unmet expectations or undelivered promises.

While you are fairly optimistic when running your business, you also know that things could go wrong. Someone in your staff will make a mistake. A lapse in quality control can result in an error that has to be rectified. An accident might cause a delay in delivering your promised goods or services. All of these could lead to circumstances that make customers very unhappy.

How you handle these operational flaws or breakdowns greatly determines your market position and business direction. Many business owners shy away from this subject but there is no better time to discuss complaint handling process than now.

As many entrepreneurs join the competitive and crowded marketplace, a prudent business owner can set his company apart through excellent handling of complaints.

Complaint Handling Strategy – A Primer

• “Never call a customer a ‘liar’, a ‘scammer’, or any offensive term – even in your mind.”
• “Don’t take the complaint personally. Defuse the tension (by allowing the customer to vent his or her frustrations or anger) and then gather facts to arrive at an appropriate solution.”
• “Listen attentively to the customer’s complaint and try to understand the root of the problem.”
• “Put yourself in your customer’s shoes so you can feel and show real empathy.
• “Thank the customer for bringing up the issue, quickly fix the problem, and offer assistance for other related concerns.”

These are just among the most common complaint handling tips you can find online. Master them but don’t limit your knowledge to these wise words.

Specific complaints call for specific resolutions. If you have diverse customers, you’ll likely receive mixed reviews of your products or services. In the ideal world, all customers are happy with what you have to offer.

But the real world is far less forgiving of mediocrity or mishap.

Poor products and substandard services don’t last in a constantly evolving market. Innovation is key to survival and expansion. But how do you keep improving? One way is to effectively use customer feedback.

A complaint is like an expensive piece of diamond jewellery concealed in an old newspaper. If you knew what’s hidden beneath the aged yellowish newspaper, you would be too eager to unwrap it. But seldom do people see beyond the ugly mask most complaints wear.

Once you see the value that complaints add to your business, you will begin to approach it differently.

No longer is complaint management a necessary evil. You will start to think of it as an opportunity to improve your service, retain current customers, develop brand ambassadors, and attract more potential customers. You will stop seeing complaint handling as a costly aspect of your business operation.

Instead, you will see complaint management as a blessing, a learning opportunity, and a necessary ingredient to innovation. It’s your defence against competitors trying to woo your loyal customers with their massive product discounts and better customer service. It’s how you stay relevant to consumers’ ever-changing habits, needs, and demands.

What’s your attitude about customer complaints? How do you evaluate your current complaint handling procedure? How can it be improved?

I attended a local solicitors’ office this morning and upon arriving was immediately impressed with the appearance of the reception and waiting area. The receptionist greeted me warmly and instructed me to sit and wait for the solicitor to see me.

Unfortunately, it was from here that it went downhill. Although I was right on time for the appointment, I was left waiting in the reception area for 20 minutes. During this time the staff carried on with their day as if I wasn’t there, and I was left stewing over how long I was sitting waiting, thinking about all of the other things I could be doing in that time.

On the other hand, when visiting a financial planning office a few weeks ago, the receptionist was chatting to me while I was waiting to be shown into the meeting. I have no recollection of how long I was sitting there as I was involved in conversation and oblivious to the clock ticking.

These different experiences cause me to ponder what it takes for a business to provide a memorable customer service.

The actions of the staff (or lack of actions in the case of the solicitor) left an impression on me that I will take away with me. How do you want your clients (or prospective ones) to remember you?

Practicing excellent customer service is a very important factor in effectively running a business. It is vital as it is all about the people who help your business to function… your customers! They are the backbone of any organisation as they provide stability and are the main resource the business depends on to be able to operate. Without them your business simply won’t survive.

Great customer service is very beneficial and rewarding for any business. It can be the one thing that sets your business apart from the rest and the reason why customers come to you over other businesses.

Basic things to remember to optimise your customer service:

Answering phone calls: You don’t want to miss out on potential customers and you don’t want to lose existing ones just because you were not able to be contacted. Ensure that someone is always available to answer phone calls and when that’s not possible, record a message so that customers understand why you can’t receive their call.

Install multiple phone lines so more incoming and outgoing calls can be made, this is especially effective in larger organisations but will also benefit smaller ones if the phone is constantly being used for long conversations.

 Warm greeting: Always greet your customers with a smile and say “how may I help?” or “how are you today?” Ignoring or rudely greeting customers will make them feel unimportant and will immediately give them a reason to dislike your business.

Train staff to greet customers professionally and personably to make them feel special. Existing clients should be greeted by name and new customers should be greeted by introducing yourself followed by asking their names.

Keeping promises: If you fail to keep a promise to your customers they will see you as unreliable, which can result in them being frustrated and annoyed with your service and could potentially leave.

The best thing is to not make promises, be realistic and honest.

As retail businesses struggle to compete with on-line stores business owners are faced with the challenge of coming up with new and innovative ways to encourage shoppers through their doors.

The advantage that retail owners have over the internet is good old fashioned customer service. Below are the fundamentals of providing consistent customer service:

1. Greet the customer – a warm and sincere friendly greeting goes a long way. Try to avoid the cliché “How are you”
2. Listen to your customer to understand what they are looking for and how you can help them
3. Promote the benefits of a product’s features – explain how it will meet your customer’s needs
4. Up-sell by offering a product or service that compliments the product they are purchasing.
5. Provide an unexpected service. Examples include assisting customers with taking items to their car, offering beverages, or providing a form of in-store entertainment

Above all, remember to SMILE. A smile makes the customer feel good as they enter the store and sets the mood for their shopping experience.