How to Respond to Complaints

If you work in customer service or even if you know somebody who works in customer service, you’re probably familiar with a story or two about customers from hell whose sole objective in life seems to be making work miserable for customer service representatives.  Whether on the phone or in a letter, these customers do nothing to hide their anger and frustration and spare no words letting you know what they think of your product or service.

It’s natural that your response to complaints like these will reflect the tone in which they were written.  Angry letters, after all, get angry responses.  When you’re responding to complaints, however, your professionalism hangs on whether you can overlook the anger and emotion customers have shoved in your face and focus on the issues and the solutions.  After all, the people you’re dealing with are probably very nice face to face.  The anonymity of telephone calls and letters, however, allows them to vent their frustration with impunity.

Remember, although you needn’t agree with your customer’s point of view, responding to a complaint successfully means that you do need to understand their situation and their feelings.  In this way, regardless of whether the customer’s expectations or demands for a solution were completely met, you can still go a long way towards soothing their anger and disappointment.

All communications with complaining customers, therefore, must be expressed in an understanding tone, whether you are speaking with them on the telephone or writing to them in a response letter.  That’s why now is a good time to read through the dusty old response formats your company has been sending to complaining customers for ages and see if the language you’re using to express your empathy is current, new- millennium, business English.

Once you have responded to a customer’s complaint, take ownership of it and follow through to the end.  If you ensure that your company does the right thing by your customer and then call to check that the issue has been resolved to their satisfaction, you will consolidate your relationship and keep this customer for life.

Complaining customers aren’t really trying to spoil your day.  They just need to be understood.  If you can genuinely empathize with their problems and provide what they need, they may become more loyal than they were before complaining.

Complaints: What, Who and Where?

Today, three answers to three questions about complaints: What, who and where?

First, what’s better, complaining by phone or by letter? 

If your problem must be resolved urgently, use the phone.  In all other circumstances write a letter.  Among the many reasons for this is simply to make it easier for the organization to handle your complaint.  They probably require facts and written records for their complaint processing and letters provide a more reliable way to deliver these than phone calls do.  You may also keep a copy of the letter for your records so you always have something to refer back to.

Telephone calls are less controlled and allow emotions to take over.  Letters, on the other hand, allow you to plan exactly what needs to be communicated.  You can sit, calm down present your case in the best possible way. 

Second, once your letter’s written, to whom do you send it? 

 

The head of the customer service department at the branch office nearest you is where you start.  These are the people most prepared to help you because this is what they do.  Writing to the CEO or the MD should be saved until the problem gets worse or remains unresolved.  Writing to the top of the organization too early will only get you referred to the customer service department by the CEO’s PA anyway.

Third, where do you complain if the organization fails to satisfy you? 

 

Before you take your complaint too far, stop and ask yourself, is it really worth the effort?  Is your need to push onward fueled by emotions or by a genuine need for resolution?  Remember, some battles with giants aren’t worth fighting, so it may be in your best interest to walk away.

Some things, however, are worth fighting for.  If you feel the need for a personal crusade, use the media to broadcast your situation.  This will get the attention of the organization you’re complaining about.  Write letters to government regulatory bodies and ensure that you present clear records of everything that has transpired so far.

Remember, the higher you go with your complaint, the more professional and authoritative you will need to appear.  Your further letters, therefore, will need to be objective, factual and error-free.  As you may attract media attention, the image you present should be one of a consumer wronged rather than of a whiner and whinger.

Filing complaints when necessary is a legitimate part of doing business.  That’s why we have customer service departments.  To ensure that your complaints are honored and resolved, remain objective and follow due process.  Remember, most companies would rather keep you happy.