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10 Tips on how to handle a complaint

Written by: Linda Mattacks

Article Overview: Many people dread the idea of handling complaints when in fact we should be thanking the powers that be when we get them first hand and have the opportunity to fix them before the customer decamps, bad mouthing us all along the way…

10 Tips on how to handle a complaint

I’ve treated this as a complaint by telephone yet the tips can be used to equally positive effect a face to face.

1. The absolute golden rule on this as far as I’m concerned is: Ears to attention

2. Let the caller have his or her initial say, whoever it is and whatever the complaint is about, without interruption

3. This is especially true if the reason for the call is to complain about your company’s product or service rather than a competitor

4. Really take especial care with this and make it clear that you’re glad they did call you and give you the chance to put whatever’s wrong right (often people don’t call to complain, they just go elsewhere, meanwhile telling everybody who will listen about the lousy service they experienced with your company)

5. Bear in mind that you will not get anywhere until you have given the caller a chance to get their grievance out into the open

6. Listen carefully with 100% of your concentration, whatever the nature of the complaint - if you’re only half listening, it sends out the wrong message and I guarantee the caller will pick up on it - they will feel, rightly or wrongly, that their business is not that important to you

7. If the caller is a chatterer, use more ‘closed’ questions - those which elicit a "yes" or "no" answer in order to control the call

8. If the person answering the incoming call is unable to see it through to a successful conclusion ensure that he or she can at the very least inform the caller what the next steps will be, for example:

"Our Sales Director/ CEO will want to deal with this and speak to you himself. He’s with a client this morning but will be back in the office this afternoon. I’ve taken down the details and would just like to recap the main points with you, so that you know you’re not going to have to go through it all again” (run through the points, giving the caller the opportunity to agree with your understanding of the situation or correct you)…

9. At the end of the call ensure the next activity is agreed with the caller, written down and followed through:

"I’ll do some checking in the meantime, as he will want to look into how this came about. If for any reason he can’t get back to you by four o’ clock, I’ll call you. My name is (give your full name).

10. That call back must be diarised and made at the agreed time even if, or especially if something has prevented the progress anticipated being made. I cannot stress this point enough - it may not be fair but your credibility as a small business or the main contact point of a larger one often depends on you doing what you said you would, when you said you’d do it.

Finally, if you've handled this situation well and you don't keep on messing up in future, you've probably now got yourself one heck of a loyal customer!

Linda

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