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Ryan Parks... Please read
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| Jayx1 |
ClearlyBusiness by Barclays
How to handle customer complaints
Despite having all the best intentions to provide a first class service and product, it is virtually impossible for a business to avoid some degree of customer dissatisfaction at some time or another...
When this occurs, many customers vent their feelings by simply deciding not to buy from you any more. But when the customer makes a complaint instead, this gives the business an opportunity to:
Make amends and restore goodwill
Re-enforce the relationship and build customer loyalty
Alter any procedures or products to ensure that other customers don't encounter the same problems
Look professional and keep its reputation intact.
This is why it is so important to handle customer complaints properly, turning them into positive elements that can add to your relationship with customers and help you to refine and improve your offering.
You should also remember that a lot of customer service enquiries arise as a result of poor communication - perhaps customers were confused over the terms of a particular offer or misunderstood the repayment terms - and this means that your message needs to be put across more clearly in the future. Another thing to bear in mind is that most of your customers are reluctant to complain and their constructive remarks should be taken seriously.
In certain businesses, customer complaints can vary widely in their nature and so putting a formal policy in place may not be very helpful when it comes to dealing with them. It can be more constructive to define the stages of the complaints procedure and create a set of principles against which you can measure your actions in each stage.
The stages of the procedure will vary from business to business, but they should include the following:
Receipt, acknowledgement and logging of complaint. This is the initial contact from the customer whether it is done verbally, by email, by letter, over the phone or by fax. If the complaint cannot be resolved immediately, it should be acknowledged, in writing if appropriate, and any relevant details logged. The acknowledgement letter should indicate that the matter is being investigated and with an estimate of when the complainant can expect a follow-up reply.
Investigation. The problem should be looked into in detail and the source identified. If there is a fault, it should be remedied.
Response. You should contact the customer when the investigation has been completed and report your findings. You should also let the customer know what action is being taken to remedy the situation. Depending on your customer relation policy, the particular complaint, any warranty or guarantee commitments, consumer rights, the customer expectation etc, you may wish to make amends at this point by offering some form of compensation, perhaps a refund or gift voucher.
Follow up. It is important that you follow up on the complaint resolution by finding out whether the customer is satisfied with the way in which the complaint was handled. This is very useful since it enables you to find out which level of compensation you need to offer to keep the customer on board. You may find, for example, that you don't need to give customers a full refund where they are satisfied with a lesser amount.
When going through this process, you should decide upon some guiding principles against which you can measure whether you handled the complaint according to the policy of your business. Your principles should include one or more of the following:
Candour: Customers will prefer to see some level of transparency when you are dealing with their complaints. Honesty can be the best policy in certain circumstances but always be aware that your frank admission that a product you sold had seen better days may backfire if your customer seeks redress through the courts.
Equity. Fairness is an important part of complaint resolution and this not only applies to customers but to staff as well where necessary.
Efficiency. Speed and effectiveness should feature highly in your list of guiding principles. There's no point on letting unresolved problems drag on. Get them sorted out quickly and first time to maintain the professional reputation of your business.
Accountability. Make sure that the customer knows who is handling the complaint and give out contact details.
Commitment to customer service. Ensure that your commitment to good customer service shines through in each step of the resolution process.
Following the correct process and weighing up each stage against the principles of your customer relations policy will mean that you increase your chances of not losing customers, even when they are unhappy with your offering. Never ignore customer complaints since they are an early indication that what you are offering is not what your customers want or that your competition is catching up. After all, the customer's always right. |
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| rabbitjoker |
Come on, ...
Seriously - I don't know either of you guys - so I don't care who's right or who's wrong - but this back and forth isn't making anybody look like a superstar.
So - just kill it, leave it, pm it. I don't give a carp (fish?) - but FYI it's starting to look a little embarassing for everybody involved. |
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| Jayx1 |
| this is the final word on my side. That fortune 500 company says everything i have to say. It's just that he needs a rudimentary lesson in customer relations. |
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| Floorwhore |
| "the customer is always right" is the most over used, and bull statement ever made. So if i visit your Quizno's and i want my Sub to come with one of your 16 year old asian employees on the side (ala diabolic), do it get my wish?? I AM the customer, so it must be justifiable. |
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| Jayx1 |
sure, if we had 16 year old asian girls working for us. I cant come between you, her and love now can i?
:stongue:
It's not that the customer is always right. It's that you must treat him like he is always right even if he is wrong. In other words, treat the person as a customer with the respect that they deserve. remember that they pay your paycheque. You are getting paid to respect their complaints however right or wrong you feel they may be. |
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| Floorwhore |
| That was fuct!! I just was about to post "calling the iron fist - we need you!" in the other thread, and as i post - ITS ALREADY BEEN CLOSED!!! Holy jo-jo's. |
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| itikia |
| I think this topic was more than addressed in the other thread. If any feels that this thread should be re-opened for discussion PM me with a valid reason.:D |
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