7 Keys for Converting Customer Complaints Into Commitment

B. C. Forbes said, “Complaints offer opportunities to make friends or to make enemies…Isn’t it worthwhile to exert every effort to turn complainers into boosters?”But how many companies see complaints as opportunities to create commitment?Do you look at complaints that way?Excellent service providers still make mistakes.  But what makes them different is how they recover.Most customers won’t complain to you.  But they will tell others if they’re unhappy.  Seek out unhappy customers and you’ll profit from your efforts.Maybe your customers aren’t “out there” but “in here.” Those within your organization who depend on you for services and support are internal customers, and the following ideas can help you increase their loyalty and respect as well.
Key #1
When a customer is unhappy and complaining, listen carefully. “He who answers before listening–that is his folly and his shame.” Proverbs 18:13Key #2A sincere apology is the first step in dealing with a customer complaint.

Key #3

Explain why something happened, but don’t make an excuse.  An excuse is a relinquishment of responsibility.  Customers want action, not excuses.

Key#4

Don’t blame others.  It may not be your fault that the customer had a problem, but it is always your responsibility to get it fixed. As quickly as possible, find out what needs to be done to regain the customer’s loyalty.

Key #6

Fixing what’s wrong isn’t enough.  Find a way to compensate the customer for his or her inconvenience. Do more than necessary to make the customer happy.

“Be a problem solver, not a problem evader.  We train people to be angry when we fail to be available when they are just concerned.” Dr. Terry Paulson

Key #7

The best policy for empowering employees to create less complaints and successfully handle the ones that do occur: “You’ll never get in trouble for trying to help a customer.”

Comments

Posted by Mark Sanborn in Customer Service, Leadership, Training & Development on February 4th, 2013.

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One Response to “7 Keys for Converting Customer Complaints Into Commitment”


  1. surprise solutions consumer complaints says:
    March 19, 2013 at 12:21 am

    so nice stuff….. good work keep going…

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