1. HANDLING CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS

2. What is a Complaint?
“An expression of dissatisfaction made to an organization, related to its products or services, or the complaints-handling process itself, where a response or resolution is explicitly or implicitly expected”

3. Why do customers complain?
Their expectations have not been met!
To release their anger
To help improve the service

4. Why do customers complain?
What proportion of unhappy customers complain?
Generally 9% to 37% of unhappy customers make complaints to the firms.
The rest never bother to complain
Why don’t unhappy customers complain?
They think it is not worth the time or effort.
They further think that no one would be concerned about their problem or solve it.
They do not know where to go or what to do.
Each happy customer will tell at least six other people

5. Most common complaints...
Wrong information
Poor customer service attitude
Overpricing
Lack of adequate information
Delays
Unresponsiveness of service providers

6. The customer is not always right but...
The customer is always the customer and this means simply that solving the problem is often more important than who is right.
If you can solve their problem without blaming yourself or others,
you will reduce stress,
everyone will feel better and
you will be on your way to attaining CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

7. Is a complaint a gift? Why?
Complaints are gift packages waiting to be opened because they:
Are given freely
Are unexpected…they come as a surprise (usually)

8. Is a complaint a gift? Why?
A complaint gives you:
Free direct communication from the customer about service failures, competitors offerings etc. without the added cost of conducting a survey
Readily available market research: they define what customers want

9. Is a complaint a gift? Why?
A complaint gives you the opportunity to:
Increase customer trust
Build long term relationships-
customers will use your services again if they believe complaints are welcomed and addressed
Rectify service failures

10. Is a complaint a gift? Why?
If a customer is complaining, you are being given a chance to retain that customer

11. The customer’s needs when they complain
Needs relating to the complaint
To have their concern dealt with quickly, fairly and properly
To be given what they have been denied and perhaps an apology
To have action taken to rectify a problem or address a concern-
Needs as individuals
To be heard
To be understood
To be respected

12. When the customer’s need is met…
You automatically Engage your Customer as your Advocate!
Who is your advocate???
A person who publicly supports or recommends you
Someone who speaks, or argues in your favor  

13. Steps for Handling Customer Complaints

14. How to Handle Customer Complaints
How do you react to customer complaints about the way you do your work?
Especially when you think you are doing your best???
People react to customer complaints in different ways…
Some
Ignore complaints
Become defensive
Become angry or annoyed
Are concerned about the loss of trade or the damage to their professional reputation

15. How to Handle Customer Complaints
For others, it is
A hindrance
They just wish the customer would go away! Or
They do not believe some or all of what the customer is complaining about.
These reactions are as a result of blame being attributed to us or our organization.

16. How to Handle Customer Complaints
In making complaints, some customers portray the following characteristics
Lack of gracious social skills to communicate properly
Nervousness
Harshness
Very Emotional
Lack understanding of you or your organization’s limitations
Rudeness
Unreasonableness

17. How to Handle Customer Complaints
Listen
Apologise
Acknowledge
Explain action
Thank
Follow up
Remember not to take it personally
Remain calm
Focus on the problem and not person
Turn unhappy people into happy customers

18. How to Handle Customer Complaints
Address customers by name
All communication should be in the first person.
Use “I am sorry” not “we”
Don’t make excuses or blame others in your organization
Give the customer your full attention and establish eye contact
Paraphrase their complaint in your own words to determine whether you have correctly understood the situation.

19. How to Handle Customer Complaints
If you don’t know the answer to their problem, don’t lie.
Call back when you say you will, even if for some reason, you haven’t been able to obtain a satisfactory answer by then
Make the customer part of the solution
not part of the problem

20. How to handle customer complaints
Don’t be defensive
Don’t take criticisms personally
Offer an apology even if the disservice is not your fault
Show empathy by using such phrases as: “I can understand how you feel”, “I appreciate what you’re saying.”

21. How to Handle Customer Complaints
Tell them what you can do…not what you can’t do
Find out what it will take to turn their dissatisfaction into satisfaction
If they agree to that solution, act quickly before they change their mind
Follow up
And remember: You can never win an argument with a customer