How to Handle Unhappy Customers

No matter how diligent you are and how fantastic your customer service is, you are bound to get unhappy customers occasionally. How you handle situations like that are as important, if not more important, than your general day-to-day customer service. However, the complaints process is often where many companies fall down. Why Bother? Although complaints may seem detrimental to a company, handling them swiftly and efficiently may actually lead to greater customer loyalty and advocacy. It will help customers build trust for your organisation, and knowing that problems (should any arise) will be dealt within a timely and effective manner can only show your company in a positive light. In other words, use complaints as an opportunity to demonstrate your integrity. How to do it

• • Handle problems personally

    That doesn’t mean that you have to become a complaints handler yourself, but have an employee who deals with customer issues personally. Most people would rather speak to someone, whether in person, on the telephone, or through an interactive live chat application, than be expected to tick boxes on a pre-arranged form or write an email only to have to wait for a response.

• • Don’t rush them

    Let your customer explain their problem in their own way and in their own time. If you rush them, you may not fully understand their issue and it is likely that they will feel as though you don’t care.

• • Have a positive attitude

    It’s important that your customer knows that you want to help and that you actually want to resolve their problem instead of trying to get them off the phone as soon as possible. Listen to whatever they have to say and respond appropriately and the reaction will be positive. This response is sure to have them feeling calmer and less irate towards you and your company.

• • Don’t take it personally

    Your customer’s issue is with the company, or the product, not with you. It’s important that your employees understand that also, as it means that they will be calmer and less defensive with trying to find a solution.

• • Customer focus

    Focusing on the customer rather than the complaint will pay dividends when dealing with unhappy customers. It will demonstrate your ability to empathize, listen, and give excellent customer service. It will also help you not to take it personally!

• • Be swift

    Resolve the problem as quickly and as efficiently as you can. A timely resolution will put a smile on your previously unhappy customer’s face and will have them telling their friends about how fantastic you were.

• • Overcompensate

    Although giving refunds, discount codes, or gift vouchers may seem far-fetched in the face of complaints with small financial cost, overcompensating for mistakes is an example of great customer service.

• • Verify everything

    Ask how the customer would like the problem resolved, verify that you have fully understood everything discussed, and before you take any action, ensure that this is what the customer wants.

• • Learn from it

    Finally, and perhaps most importantly, learn from the unhappy customers that you deal with. Take advantage of the feedback, using it to ensure that the same mistakes don’t happen again, or even as a way to hone your customer service skills.