Customer Service Dealing with Complaints

- By Ben Jacobson (about the author)

A complaint occurs in the customer service industry, whenever a customer shares a concern. A complaint can come in the form of a simple question raised by the customer, a subtle comment of displeasure, or downright customer dissatisfaction.

To make things easy on you and keep customers happy, the most efficient method of complaint handling is to prevent complaints in the first place or at least minimize the potential for complaints. You can do this by being knowledgeable about your business and products. People will buy what they want, not what they need. It is your job to sell, but not over-promise. Do not leave customers with unrealistic expectations by exaggerating the impact a product might have.

That being said, all the minimizing and preventing in the world won't eliminate all complaints. In business, some complaints are inevitable. The first step for a customer service person is to take input; listen to the complaint! Through verbal communication, the customer may tell you exactly what is wrong. And if not, ask them for clarification. You can't fix a problem unless you understand the problem.

It is always a good idea to document every complaint situation. Information such as names, dates, the complaint situation, causes, and solutions should be saved, on paper and in the company computer system. You never know when you'll need to access this information, as a reference for future similar situations, or for documentation in the event of a reoccurrence of the complaint in question.

Once you have taken the complaint and know all the details, handle it. And handle it quickly. The sooner you take care of the situation, the more likely the situation will be resolved to the customer's satisfaction.

Step 1 - Delegate responsibility for resolving the issue. This may be you, or someone with expertise in the complaint area, or someone familiar with that customer.

Step 2 - Determine the best method for resolving the issue. Be sure to include the customer on this step! They'll appreciate it and it will help you give them what they want.

Step 3 - Take action and resolve the issue. Make sure all the important people (managers and bosses!) approve of the action.

Step 4 - Make sure the customer is satisfied with the outcome. After all, why else go through all the trouble of resolving the complaint?!

In customer service, there will always be those unfortunate instances when a complaint escalates. However, you can reduce these instances by following through with the steps listed above.

Remember, the best in customer service will treat a complaint as an opportunity to let customers know how much they mean to a business. Win life-long customers by showing them how important it is to find a solution to their complaint.