Keys to Successfully handling customer complaints
IN the last two articles we discussed unhappy or dissatisfied customers.
Why are customers unhappy or why are they dissatisfied? Customers can become disgruntled for many reasons. They may perceive that they did not get what they were promised or what they expected. Or someone in the organisation was rude to the customer, this is the customer’s perception – and their perception is generally the only one that counts because customers are the reason for the existence of any business.
The customer might have encountered a customer service representative who displayed an attitude of indifference, someone just did not care and it showed in their words, actions or attitudes.
Or, one almost everyone can relate to, is that no one listened or seemed interested that there is a complaint.
As customers, it very easy to relate to these reasons because these are common practices that we encounter on a regular basis.
If these are common occurrences in businesses and we are faced with these situations on a daily basis, why is it that businesses are not addressing this problem? Is it because we do not voice our complaints or concerns? Or is it that no one seems to care? Or maybe the businesses do not know how to address complaints from customers.
It most definitely is the latter, it could not be that the owners of the businesses are aware of the fact that customers are dissatisfied and that they are doing absolutely nothing about it.
The businesses in our country should care about their customers and should always be willing to do everything possible to make their shopping experience a wonderful one!
Customer complaints – how can we effectively and efficiently deal with them so that our customers leave feeling that they have been treated in a way that shows the company cares about the problem, about to find a solution to the problem, and about the customer’s inconveniences?
When customers are unhappy, angry or dissatisfied they want two things. First they want to express their feelings and secondly, they want the problem solved. To achieve this there are six simple steps to successfully handling a customer’s complaint.
The first step is to listen to the customer. Listening to what the customer has to say is very important. Do not interrupt the customer while he/she is talking. Customer service representatives should use positive body language – maintain eye contact and gently nod to show your interest.
They should never take complaints personal; customers are upset with the company not a specific individual. Customer service representatives should never retaliate and respond in a rude manner to customers when they are making a complaint.
The second step is to empathise with the customer. After the customer has finished voicing his/her concerns, the customer service representative can now actively participate in the conversation. Let the customer know that you understand and appreciate why they are upset.
This does not mean that you have to agree with the customer. At this stage, you can start building the bridge to resolve this problem.
The third step is to apologise. Many businesses and employees may not want to apologise to customers because they may think that it is an admission of guilt. Saying that you are sorry does not imply that you did anything wrong, you are simply apologising to the customer for the inconvenience caused and the bad experience that he/she has had.  Of course, this should be done in an apologetic manner and be reflected in your tone of voice and body language.
The fourth step is to summarise and investigate the complaint. As we all know a situation has many sides. The customer has informed you of his/her side of the problem. After listening to the customer, summarise the complaint. This gives the customer the opportunity to verify or correct your understanding of the problem. You now need to act on this information.
Always remember that you have to remain objective. After listening to both parties, you as the complaint handler need to filter through the information you collected and try to find a solution, which leads to the next step.
The fifth step is to find a solution for the complaint. Remember that this is the second interest of the customer; he/she wants the problem solved. This can be done in various ways. You can come to an agreement with what the customer wants or you can make suggestions to the customer and let he/she make a decision on which solution he/she prefers.
The ultimate objective is to satisfy the customer by providing a realistic solution. Do not offer a solution that you cannot deliver, always be honest and realistic.
The sixth and final step of this process is to follow up. This is the key to any successful complaint handling. Always follow up with the customer – by email, letter or telephone call- to check if he/she is satisfied with the solution you offered and if it worked. This will show the customer that the company cares about their customers and it can be the foundation of developing a loyal customer.
( Tameca Sukhdeo-Singh and Nadine King can be contacted at: cru@networksgy.com)