No matter how much effort you put into providing your customers with the best products and/or services, at some point, there are going to be complaints. Sometimes businesses and their employees make mistakes, and of course, customers are going to complain.
There are also situations where products and/or services were more than satisfactory, but customers may still have issues. The fact is that you can’t please everybody, and some people are hard to please no matter what.
Using a service such as Responsely to launch solid customer feedback campaigns can help identify problem areas. When it comes to customer complaints, half the battle is how you acknowledge and respond to those complaints.
Acknowledging and responding to complaints in the right way can make the difference between bad reviews and losing customers, and satisfied repeat customers and new customers. Let’s go over some of the best tips to follow when it comes to the issue of acknowledging complaints.
Listen and Ask Follow-Up Questions
When customers have grievances with a product or service, you need to listen to everything they say when they tell you about it. This is important for two reasons. First, customers need to feel like they are being heard. There’s nothing worse for a customer who airs a grievance, only to have it fall on seemingly deaf ears.
Customers who don’t feel like they matter and think that their satisfaction is irrelevant are sure to take their business elsewhere. Second, you need to listen to what the customers have to say because they might have a valuable point.
Not all customer’s opinions are relevant, but there is a chance that their complaint is grounded in truth. Listen to what they have to say, and ask follow-up questions because it can provide valuable information. If there is a problem, you want to fix it so it does not happen again.
Repeat the Complaint Back to Them
Another great way to acknowledge a customer complaint is to repeat their words, particularly their complaints, back to them. This is related to our first point because it demonstrates that you are actually listening; customers need to feel you hear what they have to say.
However, there is more to it than that. If you repeat a complaint back to the customer, it allows you to better understand the issue at hand. As someone in the customer service field, you need to understand the complaint to the fullest.
The only way that you will be able to move forward and remedy the problem is by understanding it in the first place. There’s nothing more annoying for a customer than a customer service rep trying to solve a problem while seemingly ignoring the actual issue.
Always Apologize
No matter what, apologize. While people who work in the service industry hate the saying, “the customer is always right,” if you plan on getting repeat business and new customers, it is an important principle.
This means apologizing to customers no matter what the complaint is, whether legitimate or seemingly unreasonable.
An apology makes the customer feel heard; it makes them feel like you care, and it shows that you are human – that you have sympathy for the customers. Customers want to feel like they matter, not just the dollars that they spend. A simple apology can go a long way in earning some good faith.
Offer Good Solutions
You don’t want to say that you cannot help while acknowledging a complaint. Saying that you are unable to address an issue, or at least to attempt to solve it, is a sure-fire way to lose business.
Once you understand precisely what a customer wants and what the issue is, you can offer potential solutions. You may not always be able to solve a problem, but you can always try to make things better and win back some good faith.
For instance, if you are running a restaurant and the meal provided was not satisfactory, you could offer to comp a portion of the cost, provide a free dessert, or something similar. Things like coupons, refunds, and replacements make customers feel like you care and that you respect their needs, even if there initially was a problem.
It’s All About Courtesy
One of the most essential rules for acknowledging customer complaints is to always be courteous and polite. One of the worst things that you can do is be rude to a customer. Even if a customer is in the wrong, making them feel unreasonable, unwanted, or just downright stupid will not get you anywhere.
Remember, these complaints are not personal, so remain detached from the situation; don’t take it personally, and don’t get snippy. Rude or lousy customer service is a leading cause of lost business. No matter how unreasonable or rude a customer is, keep your cool at all times.
In businesses where you interact with people face to face, other people can see what is happening. Another customer could see you being snippy or rude with a disgruntled patron, and they might not be able to tell if the complaining customer is actually in the wrong. Being courteous is not just for the complainer, but for the curious eyes that could be watching you. On that same note, never be confrontational!
Conclusion
A lot of customer service has to do with making people feel like they matter, that they are being heard and that you are doing everything possible to help them.
This does not mean that you will always be able to please everybody at all times, but it’s making a strong effort that is important.
