Best Tips for Dealing with Customer Complaints.

by Brian Wallace Affiliate Marketing

Effectively managing your response can be a tricky situation, but we know you’re up to the task. Dealing with customer complaints is part art, part science. If you want to ‘wow’ your customers instead of causing them to walk away frustrated, follow these steps.

Interact Calmly

Most customers that come to you with a complaint are already frustrated, annoyed, or angry. They don’t need you adding fuel to the fire. If you’re angry and they’re angry, you won’t get a happily-ever-after ending. Instead, school yourself in the art of remaining calm.

Whether they show it or not, customers want you to calmly, respectfully, and wisely handle the matter they bring to your attention. They have an issue that likely is just as frustrating to them as it is to you. Their time, money, and day might have been wasted to bring this to your attention. They want you to handle it well.

Remain calm even in the face of angry customers. Just like ornery teenagers, they may not say it to your face, but they’ll be glad you kept your head level even if they didn’t. When you’re calm, it’ll help them calm down as well. And when both parties are calm, you’ll be able to discuss the issue like rational human beings.

Listen and Observe

Sometimes, the best thing you can do is to let the customer talk out their complaint. Maybe the issue isn’t as big as they thought it was. There might be a simple solution. If you let them do all the talking upfront, it will help you to determine the extent of the problem and how to solve it. Listening will also send a message to your customer that you value what they have to say. Jumping into their long-winded tailabout a coupon not functioning correctly during the checkout process won’t help you understand the fact that they don’t care about the specific coupon, but that they just need the 10% off to purchase your item. Listen well, and you’ll often be able to come to a solid conclusion about their needs and a solution to solve the issue.

Acknowledge the Issue

After you’ve let them have their say, share with them what you heard. Tell them what you understand the problem to be and ask if you are correct. This will help show the customer that you were listening. And you care enough to make sure you understand what’s going on. When the customer answers in the affirmative, you can then go on to figuring out a solution. If you still haven’t picked up on the real issue, your customer will be sure to clarify any missing parts of the story at this point.

Collect All the Details

Before you move on to providing a solution, be sure you have all the facts. Clarify until your customer is sure that you understand what the issue is, and you’re confident that you’re not lacking any essential details. Only when you’re fully aware of the entire problem can you provide a solution that satisfies all parties.

Data gathering is one part of the complaint process that you can’t afford to skip. If it just happens that your customer’s complaint doesn’t merit the solution they’re asking for, it’s often the details you need to point out that will show them they were in the wrong or do not qualify for any further compensation.

Provide a Solution

You won’t be able to please everyone. That’s just the sad fact of life. You can, however, do the best you can with the details and facts you’ve gathered. If the customer is in the right, do everything you can to make good on the problem. Provide them with a product, the discount they deserve, or credit terms they sought. Be sure that their complaint is adequately addressed. If you want to make a customer for life, add in an extra discount or a special voucher as a way to apologize for the mistake.

If a customer is in the wrong and there’s nothing more that you can do, calmly and professionally point to them the reason why you cannot give compensation. If they continue to complain, calmly let them know that you are glad to listen but according to the details provided, there will be no further inquiry into the issue. Whatever you do, keep your interaction professional.

Follow Up

Wherever possible, follow up with the customer whose problem you solved. Give them a phone call, text, or an email asking if everything is to their satisfaction. You may not receive a response, but the gesture goes a long way in keeping a satisfied customer feeling valued.

Like a Pro

Handling customer complaints is part art, part science, and can be tricky and uncomfortable. With some finesse, however, you can handle these situations like a professional answering service. We hope these tips will help you prepare for the day when you’ll speak with a less-than-satisfied customer.