The silver lining
Don’t be afraid of complaints. Emma De Vita describes how to turn a negative into a positive and gain a customer for life1. It’s all about attitude
No matter how rude or angry the person gets, remain polite and calm and listen to what they are saying — don’t get defensive. Put yourself in their shoes and apologise for the fact that they’ve been forced to raise an issue with you, though be careful not to say sorry for the problem itself. “Be highly sympathetic, but don’t admit it’s your fault,” advises Paul Cooper, Director of the Institute of Customer Service.
2. Get all the facts
Take careful notes and summarise the situation with the customer. Not only will this reassure them that you have listened to them, but it shows that you are taking their complaint seriously. It will also aid your own understanding of the problem.
3. Fix the problem
It’s now time for you to take ownership of the problem. If you can resolve the issue there and then, don’t delay. Be sure to ask the customer how they’d like the problem to be resolved. If you need to consult with your manager, then do so quickly and get back to your complainer as soon as you know what to do. Keep your promises and be aware of FSA complaints regulations.
4. Follow up with the customer
Once a problem has been solved, write to your customer to confirm what steps have been taken, and use this as an opportunity to ask them for their feedback on how their complaint was handled — they’ll be impressed by your attentiveness. Hopefully, you’ll have a customer for life.
5. Learn from it
Don’t let your customer complaints disappear into a vacuum. Record every issue that is raised and look out for any patterns — there could be a serious underlying problem for seemingly superficial complaints.