The Service Advocate…(Part IV)
Last week we spoke about disgruntled customers and ways in which you can be sure to guarantee that a customer’s experience in your establishment is an unpleasant one. We mentioned that complaints stem from unpleasant experiences or, rather, experiences that do not measure up to the customers’ expectations.  
Each of us enters a business place with a set of expectations and if those expectations are met, we are satisfied; if they are exceeded, we are delighted; and if they are not met, we are unhappy customers.
Given this, shouldn’t the goal of business owners be to have delighted customers?  Or at the very least, satisfied customers? 
Then why is it that we, as customers, are constantly being disappointed?  Granted, there are some establishments that do provide great service every time but, sadly, these model businesses do not outnumber the ones that provide poor customer service.  
How did those businesses that provide good customer service come to do so?  Did the owners simply set out policies and standard operating procedures and then step back and watch them work?  How did they handle complaints?  Were the complaints seen as a negative or positive for the business?
Yes, the owners and managers did set out the company policies and standard operating procedures but they did not expect that those few lines would guarantee satisfied customers.  Indeed, they are essential for a business because they serve to guide the staff and it is up to the supervisors and managers to ensure that company objectives are attained through these guidelines. 
However, following the company guidelines do not always assure satisfied customers, and when customers are not satisfied, they will most likely complain.  However, bear in mind that not all dissatisfied customers complain but do not for a second believe that this is a good thing.
It is better to know when you have customers who are not pleased with the product or service you are responsible for delivering and better to know why they are dissatisfied. 
This knowledge is empowering.  Complaints are certainly not the most preferred method of customer feedback but it is, nonetheless, a valuable opportunity that you can learn from.  Complaints, if handled and documented properly, can help to identify the root cause of the problem and its analysis can offer useful information for managers and business owners and this knowledge can be used to improve the product or service that is being provided.

It is important to remember that your customers know your business’ strengths and weaknesses much better than you care to think…perhaps much better than you do.  They have firsthand experience from which to make their judgement and form their opinion.  When a customer takes the time to complain to you, be accessible and listen with patience.  They are giving you a golden opportunity to improve your service, and they truly deserve to be appreciated and thanked.  When you turn an unhappy customer into a happy customer, he or she becomes a life-long customer.  That is because you treated their grievance with respect and you were sincere about fixing the problem. 

So yes, customer complaints can help you hit the jackpot and can pay off in the long run…….as long as they are handled properly.
(Nadine King and Tameca Sukhdeo-Singh can be contacted at: cru@networksgy.com)