Resolving Customer Complaints


Unfortunately, complaints are a necessary part of doing business. Until a perfect product, organization, or company is invented, you are going to have to deal with negative issues from your customers. It is inevitable that problems will arise, and just as certain that some people who complain will be hard to please.

Having a process to resolve complaints helps assure that you deal with the emotional and practical aspects of the issue. Here is a process that can help in that regard.

Greet
Always answer the phone or greet people in person as though you are happy to hear from them. Begin in a friendly way. This is easy to say, but can be difficult to do. You need to be able to “live in day-tight compartments” and separate previous negative experiences from this customer contact.

Listen
You often get the same kinds of complaints, so it becomes challenging to really listen to people. Give them an opportunity to vent some of their frustration. Be empathetic. Listen for facts and feelings. Resist the temptation to start responding too quickly. Show signs of active listening, like brief interjections or clarifying questions.

Questions
Ask questions to clarify the concern. Again, you need to resist responding until you understand people and their issues.
Elementary questions capture the basic facts of the problem. This gives us an opportunity to take some of the emotion out of the complaint.
Elaborative questions gather more details. This gives the customer a chance to expand on their issues and feelings. These questions should be relatively short, to encourage the customer to talk more.
Evaluative questions help you gain an understanding of the severity of the issue, in the mind of the customer. This is also where you evaluate what will satisfy the customer.

Empathize
Find a point of agreement with the person. This does not necessarily mean that you agree with the complaint. This is where you show the customer that you heard and understood their concern, and you recognize that it is important to them.

Address the Issue
Now that the emotional issues have been addressed, do everything in your power to resolve the practical aspects of the complaint. Take responsibility for the actions of your organization. This is your opportunity to turn a lemon into lemonade. People who have their problems successfully resolved tend to continue to do business with you.

Test Questions
Ask questions to test how well you have resolved the emotional and practical sides of the complaint, which makes it easier to end on a positive note.

Follow Through
Often, complaints cannot be resolved completely on the first point of contact. If you need to get back to the customer, do so quickly and thoroughly. Even if the complaint has been resolved, create a reason to contact the customer again. For example, find a way to give added value. Also, look for ways to solve the root cause of problems within your organization.

What ways have you found help successfully resolve customer complaints?