By: James P. Farrell
Nobody likes to receive a complaint but if you are in the business of providing a product or service, then they are inevitable. It is impossible to please everybody all of the time. The best way to combat it is to view a customer complaint as an opportunity to achieve something positive.
After all, a complaint that is handled efficiently and resolved amicably will no doubt have a more favored impact on your reputation than one that ends badly. It can also be an opportunity to turn an unhappy customer into a loyal one; this can only happen if you have the knowledge on how best to approach, deal with and resolve a complaint.
The first step in achieving a better understanding of complaints management is to consider the following:
* Always welcome complaints
* Act promptly and efficiently upon receiving a complaint
* Train staff to deal with complaints effectively
* Facilitate complaints so customers can do so easily
Have Empathy and Be Understanding — Empathy and trust form the basis for good understanding. Try to avoid assuming that a customer complaint is irrational and exaggerated, in most cases complaints are genuine and therefore you should at least acknowledge and appreciate the time that the customer has taken to come to you with their grievance.
Devise and Implement a Policy — In designing and implementing a Complaints Management policy, you should include all aspects that concern your company and staff. Try to anticipate what areas are likely to draw complaints and make sure your policy caters to those areas. Train your staff and make sure that they are up to date on all policies and procedures put in place to deal with complaints.
Facilitate Complaints — As daft as it sounds, you should always make it as easy as possible for your customers to complain. If a customer finds it hard to communicate a problem with your company, this will only exacerbate the situation further and deepen the customer’s anger. What’s more, instead of giving you the chance to resolve the complaint, the customer may give up and go elsewhere. The complainant is also likely to tell friends and family of their frustrations, generating a lot of bad publicity.
Monitor Your Strategy — Following the devising and implementation of your complaints management strategy, it is important to monitor and assess its progress and induction into the workplace. Customer comment and feedback is central to this process and make any necessary changes outlined in the feedback. When you are satisfied that your Complaints Management Strategy is working, you should continuously monitor its progress and keep up to date records of the number of complaints you receive and also how well your staff are at dealing with each complaint.
James Farrell has worked in the selling business for over thirty years and is an acknowledged expert in sales, management and personal development. He is the founder and managing director of Professional Development Ltd., Ireland’s largest private training provider (http://www.professionaldevelopment.ie).
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