Customer service is the interaction a person makes while doing business with a company or individual. This experience is either positive or negative. Successful businesses train their staff to address customer complaints quickly.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Understanding the Problem
Step 1. Listen to customer concerns
Generally, problems can be resolved without making it a complaint. How to solve the problem will determine the intensity of the problem. Find out the customer's name, address, phone number, and other information such as account number or username.
The important part is responding to complaints quickly and professionally. Give customers the opportunity to submit their complaints as quickly as possible. Be proactive in finding solutions to problems
Step 2. Give the customer the opportunity to explain the problem without interruption
Constantly interrupting the customer conversation will only add fire to the problem and could end up in an argument. It also makes the customer think that you don't really care about their problem.
When they have finished complaining, repeat the main points to let them know that you understand the problem
Step 3. Don't challenge their complaints
Even if what a customer is saying is unfounded in reality and you want to immediately refute everything they say, don't say they are wrong. This will not help you solve the problem. Instead, let them know that you understand their problem without agreeing or confirming their statement.
Step 4. Ask questions to clarify the problem and its causes
Next, you must identify the root cause of the customer's problem. Often times, customers will evaluate the overall customer support service negatively, even if they only have a problem with one aspect. Ask questions to determine where the problem lies.
Often, the problem is not with the price, product, or service, but with the negative attitude of employees when dealing with customers
Step 5. Connect customers with other people if needed
In some cases, you may not be able to address customer complaints directly. If this happens, immediately put them in touch with someone who can help, such as a manager or customer service specialist. This should be done as soon as you decide that the customer should be connected to someone else and not after you have asked the customer various questions.
If language is a problem, find someone who can speak the customer's language for smooth communication and easier problem solving
Part 2 of 3: Troubleshooting
Step 1. Apologize sincerely
Express your regret that the service or product did not meet customer expectations. Apologize as sincerely as possible. If your company makes a mistake, be the first to admit it. However, if a customer makes a mistake, let them realize their mistake and forget their mistake.
Even if you wish to do so, don't directly support the employee as opposed to the customer or vice versa. You should investigate the matter further to determine who is at fault
Step 2. Empathize with their problems
Put yourself in the customer's shoes. Everyone has experienced bad service at some point. Saying that you understand the customer's problem will help defuse the situation. Doing so will let the customer know that you are with them and will work together to resolve the issue.
Step 3. Find out how the customer wants to solve the problem
Ask the customer what they want, even if you're not sure you can deliver. Settlement can be in the form of a replacement, refund, exchange, store credit, or price discount.
Step 4. Reassure them that the problem will be resolved
Explain to customers that all feedback from customers is very valuable to the company. Customers are not sure if you will actually solve their problem. So make it clear that you will find a solution that benefits both parties.
Step 5. Do your best to resolve the complaint
If possible, give customers what they want. If this is not possible, you should offer another adequate solution, which will resolve the issue. Focus on the things you can give them and not on the things you can't give. Determine a solution and do it as quickly as possible.
- If the customer's request can be met, explain how long it will take to process it or what it will take to fulfill the request.
- When you provide the customer with a resolution date, ensure that the issue is resolved in a timely manner, or if there is a delay, explain the delay by phone or follow-up email.
Step 6. Thank the customer
Express your sincere gratitude to the customer for raising their complaint. Explain that customer complaints are constructive criticism and can help the company better serve other customers. Be sure to let them know that you look forward to serving them again soon.
Step 7. Contact them
Call or email the customer to make sure they feel the problem is really resolved. Provide a contact number to call if they feel the issue has not been resolved. You can also provide customer service surveys that can be used to evaluate your business' ability to resolve customer complaints. This survey should be sent 24 to 48 hours after the complaint is resolved.
Step 8. Record or log customer interaction data
Write down information about interactions with customers and how to resolve the situation, if possible. You should also note whether the interaction ended in resolution or not, as well as what was needed to resolve the issue. Then, collect other similar complaints by grouping them into similar categories based on the cause or product/service complained of.
- From here, you can analyze the sections that receive the most complaints and seek solutions to resolve customer issues before other problems arise.
- You can also use complaint and resolution data to analyze how successful your customer service is or how successful your customer service is over time.
Part 3 of 3: Following General Guidelines
Step 1. Know what not to say to customers
A few phrases will only make the customer angrier and useless for dealing with complaints. Here are some examples:
- Based on our policy… When something goes wrong, customers don't want to hear about your policies and regulations. Policies keep the company running smoothly and shouldn't be used to hide mistakes. Also, know how to present your policy in layman's language.
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I'll put you in touch with the manager. Don't throw the matter over to your manager unnecessarily. You're just adding fuel to the fire by forcing customers to retell their problems. In addition, this shows a lack of competence in providing assistance. If you must put the customer in touch with a manager, do so before the customer explains the full problem.
Be sure to explain why you are connecting the customer with the manager. For example, you need an expert to solve their problem
Step 2. Don't take it to heart
You may want to address all customer complaints personally. If you are a small business owner, they will contact you and ask about various aspects of your operation. However, you should know that customer complaints are a simple truth of business and occur regularly, even for very well-run and successful businesses. Remember that every complaint can be an opportunity for improvement.
Tips
- These steps can also be applied to telephone or internet messaging services.
- Don't focus on resolving customer complaints quickly, but focus on handling complaints well. Most organizations have a set of procedures for complaints covering a timescale. As long as you respond to the complaint properly according to the guidelines listed, you will prevent the complaint from getting worse.
