Don’t Complain About Customer Complaints

An angry, dissatisfied customer will tell as many people as they can about their bad experience. As 84% of people trust reviews from friends and family more than advertising it is vital that every business learns how to handle customer complaints properly¹. Here are the steps:

1. The customer is always right – Don’t dispute the complaint

Most people do not like to complain. It can be stressful and people generally do not like to make a scene so it is likely a complaining customer is already quite angry. By disputing their claim you risk adding fuel to the fire. Perhaps the customer is mistaken but at this point, it does not matter – acknowledge the problem is the fault of the business straight away.

2. Apologize

Before rectifying the problem a simple sincere apology is paramount. Ideally, this should be by the manager or owner so it has weight. This will ease tension and make the customer more open to a discussion of options.

3. Action

Talk is cheap and customers expect action. If the customer complaints are minor then a minor action may be sufficient. For example, if a restaurant has forgotten a side dish then providing the side dish free of charge is often appropriate. However, if the main course was badly prepared then a complimentary coffee is a poor response to a ruined experience. In most cases a full refund is the best course of action – It is the price worth paying to stop customers broadcasting their bad experience.

4. Communicate the complaint to all staff

As a rule, all staff should be trained on how to handle customer complaints. Customers do not want to explain the issue a second time to a manager so staff should either have the authorization to handle the complaint directly or communicate it in full to a manager. Any new lessons learned from a dissatisfied customer should be shared with all staff.

5. Follow Up Contact

Customers expect compensation if they have a complaint. However, they generally don’t expect a business to follow up to confirm they are satisfied with the resolution. A phone call rather than an email adds a personal touch. Going the extra mile will generate a real positive response and may eliminate any lingering resentment about the company.

If you follow these steps the only unhappy people will be your competitors!

For further advice please reach out to your account manager at Groupon or contact us here.

 

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¹ https://www.brightlocal.com/learn/local-consumer-review-survey/