Dealing with unhappy customers is an unavoidable part of running a business. When the unexpected happens or when mistakes are made, it is essential to know how to handle customer complaints.
Rather than seeing disputes as a potential threat to your company, a positive attitude and a plan of action can turn a negative into an opportunity to display excellent customer service.
In this article, we will show you how dealing with complaints promptly and fairly can win over dissatisfied consumers, improving your reputation and business retention.
Read on to learn some top tips from the call-handling experts at Best Reception.
Understanding customer complaints
There is a simple way to define a complaint: it is an experience that falls into the gap between a customer’s expectations and what they actually received. The key is to quickly recognise what went wrong and then rectify the situation.
Remember, your customers possess plenty of power in the digital world as negative online reviews can damage your hard-earned reputation. When you receive a direct complaint, the customer is telling you that they still value your brand and are offering you the chance to resolve the issue.
Handling the complaint effectively and professionally, can even improve a customer’s long-term loyalty.
Key complaint-handling strategies
How do you respond when someone makes a complaint? Does your organisation have appropriate policies and procedures in place?
With the right training and attitude, every member of your team should know how to handle complaints correctly. Even a basic plan should see more common issues being resolved quickly.
Here are some key complaint-handling strategies that every company can adopt:
Listen to your customers
Don’t brush off negative comments, have a system to record issues so you fully understand the problem. Small complaints can quickly snowball, so ensure customers feel they are being heard.
Display empathy
Assess every complaint from the customer’s point of view to try to understand why they feel so upset. By dealing with the reason behind the emotional response, you can relate to the customer and calm the situation down.
Don’t be afraid to apologise
When you know a genuine mistake has been made, a prompt apology can make an unhappy customer feel valued. An apology can ease an emotional situation and move one step closer to a resolution.
Ask questions
Listening to a complaint also requires you to ask relevant questions so you fully understand the issue. This information will make it much easier to solve the problem and offer great customer service.
Communicate the complaint
Clear internal communication is essential for complaint handling. Informing other team members will allow them to find a solution while you deal with the customer, and can help prevent similar mistakes from happening again.
Arrive at a swift solution
Customers will become more upset the longer an issue remains unresolved. Train your teams to provide prompt customer service when a complaint is made and to quickly escalate serious issues.
Arrange a follow-up
Making a follow-up call after a complaint is a positive way to engage with your customers. Asking for feedback or sending a customer satisfaction survey can produce valuable information to help you deliver outstanding customer service.
Keep a record
What is your most common customer complaint? Recording problems is vital so your business can improve its products, services and customer care. You can also monitor customer communications to identify training needs and check if someone has complained in the past.
Know your customer types
Research from the University of Florida revealed trends in complaints leading to broad customer types defined by “beliefs, attitudes, and needs”.
Firstly, there are the vocal customers who will always let you know that they are unhappy. Responses should avoid confrontation and be based on being helpful and polite, without giving in to every demand.
Frequent customers require patience and should not be dismissed as being less important than new customers. When treated correctly, they will bring repeat business and be your best advocates.
The toughest customers to manage are those who don’t complain, but simply take their business elsewhere. You may not know there is an issue, so you will need to be proactive and approach them to receive their feedback.
Train your employees to handle common complaints
Preparing for negative comments can set your company apart from the competition. Review your existing (and upcoming) products and services to identify potential complaints. You can then prepare answers for your staff.
Your employees will feel more confident about handling negative comments, and can deal with issues on the spot without involving the management. Having prepared for these situations also allows staff to prepare answers and ensures consistent customer service throughout an organisation.
Reward great customer service
Complaints can create a negative atmosphere, so employers should praise staff for delivering excellent customer service.
For example, you could keep a record of amazing interactions and feedback from customers and conversations. Sharing these in staff communications or on noticeboards can help put a smile on everyone’s face.
Have a monthly award for the team member who received the best feedback from a customer. You can share these on social media to show how your people go above and beyond.
The benefits of using Best Reception
Dealing with complaints politely and professionally is just one of the many benefits of using a call-handling package from Best Reception.
Since 2006 we have been offering virtual receptionists to clients seeking an affordable alternative to managing incoming calls without hiring a full-time member of staff. Our UK-based virtual receptionists can supply three core services to suit businesses of all sectors and sizes:
We have created affordable packages for growing businesses needing additional support, with no upfront costs. We offer a clear and transparent service with no hidden fees or confusing small print.
As well as improving customer service, outsourcing call handling can reduce complaints. Allow our qualified team of UK-based receptionists to remove the burden of phone calls, so you can concentrate on your day-to-day business.
Remember, when you purchase a Best Reception call handling package, we include a virtual number FREE of charge. Your callers will not be charged and calls can be diverted to your UK landline or mobile number.
