For obvious reasons, it’s safe to say that companies never want to receive customer complaints. Businesses risk losing existing clients and potential new ones as well as ruining the image of the company. According to this article by Robert Moment, it’s possible to turn customer complaints into opportunities for growth and profit.
He suggests that businesses keep in mind that customers are going to complain every once in a while. Prepare yourself and your staff to deal successfully with complaints when they come. The key is to keep a positive attitude and assure your customer that the issue is a priority and you’re going to do whatever it takes to resolve the problem.
Another important point to consider is that, most likely, the customer is going to speak to you or your staff member in an aggressive and unprofessional way. It’s so important to remain professional and non-confrontational, allowing the customer to feel your genuine willingness to help. Reassure them that they’re in good hands and that you both want the same thing: a satisfactory resolution to the issue.
Because customers generally don’t care who’s to blame, don’t spend time in finger-pointing; just apologize and resolve the problem. Most importantly, don’t make excuses; just take responsibility and do your best to make it right. The author encourages businesses to compensate the customer for the inconvenience once the issue is resolved, such as with a discount on a future purchase; this will help your client focus on something positive again. Finally, don’t assume that everything is well and that no news is good news. As we learned from past articles, most customers will not let you know they’re dissatisfied. They’ll just stop doing business with your company. So be sure to survey your customers and follow-up on their issues.
Because we all learn from our mistakes, try to use each complaint as an opportunity to coach and improve your business. So the next time your customer has a complaint, don’t get frustrated! Consider each complaint as a way to prove and remind your customers why they do business with you and show them you can handle whatever issue comes your way.