3 Quick Steps to resolving a customer complaint

Every business at one time or other deals with an upset customer and the biggest challenge then lies with providing the best solution for your customer, to ensure a positive outcome and win-win situation for all. Sometimes customers even resort to switching to a competitor before you have had ample time to address or correct what went wrong. Therefore, it is imperative that each and every complaint that comes in is handled adequately & professionally so that you can evolve stronger in the market.

A satisfied customer is not always the key but a delighted customer is! If you want to maintain loyalty from your customers then addressing and resolving their complaints in a timely manner is a great opportunity to retain their trust and business.  Customers that come to you with a complaint are genuinely interested in your products or services, and equally have their expectations of them. So, try the simple three step procedure shared to solve customer complaints in a more effective manner.

Acknowledge: Start by acknowledging the actual problem.  To handle any complaint you first have to understand the problem. Keep your eyes and ears open and an open-mind. Don’t assume anything beforehand or relate one problem with another which appears similar as, it really depends on the customer with whom you are dealing. One solution may satisfy one client but may not, with another. So listen tentatively to the complaint, acknowledge the problem, repeat your understanding of the problem to ensure you haven’t omitted any pertinent details, and then start thinking about a solution that can help resolve the issue. Take a genuine interest and be empathetic to the customer. Take ownership and control of the situation and understand the delicacy of their concern.

Offer a solution: Customers long for quick fixes to their problems and often find it frustrating if months pass without a resolution. So, once you have acknowledged the problem think about a customer oriented solution. Ensure you have spent the right amount of time in acknowledging the problem which will put you in a good position to offer a solution that can ultimately help resolve the complaint in the right manner. Share your solution with the customer and ask if the customer is satisfied with the outcome, and if not what the next steps are to find an acceptable solution that the customer will be satisfied with.

Implement: The third and the most important step involves implementing the solution and doing adequate follow-up. Ensure the customer experience during this period is a positive one as statistics show that businesses that handle customer complaints effectively and efficiently are more likely to get repeat business from the same customers. Customers who have their complaints and issues resolved in a professional and timely manner are more likely to tell others about their positive experience in dealing with your business.

Here are some of the tips that I’ve learned in my career whilst providing services to current and potential customers:

• Make sure you have a customer complaints handling procedure. It will enable you to resolve the complaint in a more professional manner and show customers that you take any complaint or dissatisfaction extremely seriously
• Try to resolve the complaint in a timely manner, as customers expect a quick turnaround to their complaints.
• No business is immune from customer complaints but the companies who handle their complaints in the best way possible are the companies that ultimately succeed in the end.

Don’t also forget that complaints can ultimately become more expensive if they are mishandled or need to be escalated within the organisation.  So the steps and tips shared within this article will hopefully help you convert your customer complaint challenges into something more positive and constructive for your business.

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