With the best will in the world, no person or business is perfect – mistakes happen. And I’ve noticed over the years that when something does go wrong, chances are, that it may well go further wrong. Once things are ‘out of sequence’ they have a knack of falling off the system, and a situation can rapidly go from bad to worse.
When handling a complaint, let the customer tell you the issue, empathise with them, and tell them that you understand how they feel. Consider they are a huge balloon blown up with hot air – let them deflate themselves, get things off their chest. They may have been building up to this complaint, so let them get it all out. Listen to the end.
Even if you disagree, it’s unlikely to end well if you get into an argument about who is to blame for the situation.
It’s often worth clarifying, and noting everything down, before summarising back in order, to make sure everything is covered.
Easily the most important thing is how can you put it right? What would they like to happen next?
Don’t immediately look for others to blame, or to make someone the scapegoat. You don’t have to take responsibility for the error, but you can (and should) take responsibility for dealing with resolving the issue.
It’s worth trying to find some common ground. You might find that some careful humour may help to calm things and help put the person at ease. But beware the dangers of misplaced humour – as that could easily introduce a whole world of further pain.
Try to figure out the best and most effective way to put things right, and agree on a solution, or a way to resolve the matter. Your most important task is to confirm what you are going to do – and then to most definitely do it!
But don’t let it end there. Make certain to make good on any promises you have made, follow it through with actions and double check everything.
You may wish to follow up (once you know everything from your end is done) and make sure that the client is happy. They will most likely appreciate that you have not only resolved the issue but that you value them enough to also follow it up. When you make that follow up, always remember to call them by their name several times. People always respond positively to you remembering their name – they feel valued. Be sure to confirm that the issue is fully resolved and that they are happy now.
At this point you should take time to analyse the situation. What caused the complaint? Could it happen again? What could you do to stop it happening again? Do you need to make any changes? Is there a training requirement, or system improvement to be made? Finding answers to each of these questions will help to reduce future complaints.
Of course, some people you just can’t please, they will be unhappy no matter what you do… don’t beat yourself up on that odd occasion.
Finally… sometimes the way you deal with a complaint can generate more business from the client – they will see that you are running your business effectively and efficiently, and during the course of resolving the complaint you may well have got into a great dialogue.
