There are many ways to handle complaints. The first thing is to let them know that not only are you listening to them, you are writing down what they are saying as they are saying it because they see you do it, and that you want them to repeat the complaint several times so you know you have it right.
If a customer keeps calling about trivial things it may be due to any of the above or it may be that doing so makes them feel that, by doing so, they are letting you know that they have confidence that you will not steer them wrong. It may be that calling you makes them feel that they are an important customer even if you don't think so.
While disgruntled customers may not fit this term, certainly complainers are often called “customers from hell.” Customers from hell are those that do not come in but tell hundreds of others that you are a vendor from hell. When that happens you may both meet in the same place.
Handling complaints can be outline in four steps:
- Make sure the complainer is sitting down. If left standing when the recipient of the complaint in interrupted or goes to look up some records the complainer will become impatient or just leave the situation. Sitting in a chair can be tantamount to having the Customer glued to the chair.
- If possible, do not put a table, counter, or desk between the complainer and the person receiving the complaint. Doing so makes it adversarial. Selling is a partnership – and the listener before, during and after the hearing the problem is the complainer’s liaison to the organization or business. Of the customer senses that their time, effort, space or effort is being wasted, it can acerbate the problem. When one's Customer/partner has a problem, guess who has the problem?
- Get out a pad and pencil, ask the complainer to state the problem. Write down what they are saying as they are saying it. This has two different effects on the situation. First, the Customer's complaint is intangible until it is put down in tangible form. By writing down all the particulars of the complaint it becomes tangible. Secondly, since the listener cannot write as fast as the complainer talks, the complainer while waiting for the writer to catch up will be slowing down their presentation, hence causing a calming effect.
Get the Customer to repeat the story as many times as possible and note each change in the story. Each time, more pertinent information will come out.
Very often, the complainer has been told what to say by someone else. It is their sales presentation. The person receiving the complaint is the buyer and will not buy the validity of the complaint unless they can sell the validity to someone else.
Many complaints stem from the fact that the customer was not given, in tangible form, the answers to questions they needed to answer the questions before the question(s) were asked.
- Process the complaint as soon as possible. Let the customer know when they will be getting a reply . . . and get back to them before that time. If the service or Products is defective, do not argue! Make it right, right away. Do not hesitate to replace it, do it over, or give a refund.
If the reply is negative to what the complainer wants, the negative reply has to be sold to whomever the dissatisfied or disgruntled or complaining customer will be talking to.
Lastly, it is everyone’s obligation within their working or familiar environment where the problem arose to discuss the problem, the situation and the solution. This information will help others handle the problems later.
