Golden Rules of Customer Service: Deal with Complaints (instead of avoiding them)

One of the golden rules of customer service, the life blood of any service oriented business, is to deal with complaints quickly and effectively. The natural human tendency is to avoid them as you wish to avoid any unpleasantness, but that only makes the situation worse. Everyone will have complaints on occasion, even the best of processionals. What sets the best pros apart from the merely average is the way in which they handle customer complaints and are often able to turn around a difficult, pain in the neck customer, making them instead into a loyal convert.

If you have a customer making a complaint remember that they are seeking communication and that is the first thing that you must give them. Communicate directly if possible, either in person or by telephone. If this will not work then email or a formal letter. Let them know that you value both their business and their opinion, respect them as human beings and want to see what you can do to satisfy them and make the situation right again in their eyes. Many times that effort in itself is enough. If it is not, they will let you know what you can do and you can then take appropriate action.It is the custom of many businesses to offer something free to the complaining party as a token of appreciation. Years ago one famous fried chicken restaurant which prided itself on always having fresh chicken ready for the customer kept “courtesy cups” handy, smaller than average paper cups that they would use to provide a free beverage to any customer who had to wait while chicken was cooked. This served as a visible and tangible expression of regret and made the customers feel special and feel as though they had received a sincere apology.

One Midwestern grocery store chain in the habit of responding to complaints about their stores received via email on their website by sending out twenty dollar gift certificates to the complaining parties. This can be expensive, but it is definitely a tangible expression. You could do something similar without breaking the bank by offering the complaining client a half price special on her next visit. If this isn’t enough, then probably a free visit. This is still cheap when you think of the money you’ll make from this client if she continues to be a regular.   

Take care of complaints quickly and your business will blossom.