Practically every industry is overwhelmed by competition, and finding your unique selling point, that single thing that makes you stand out can be difficult. Seizing your opportunity to shine can be a battle when you’re up against your competitors in tempting a potential customer. Turn a negative into a positive and use every opportunity you get – even customer complaints
It’s understandable that you will dread having unhappy customers, no business owner wants to hear that their persistent hard work results in any dissatisfied customers, but unfortunately to some extent it’s inevitable. The good news is that how you choose to confront any complaints can encourage customer loyalty and strengthen your reputation for fabulous customer service.
You may feel wholeheartedly that your business offers great customer service, you may believe you’ve put the right people in place to manage disgruntled customers, the right scripts in place to empower your team to handle any complaint, and the right steps in place to ensure that a resolution is always possible. But how will you know that it really does its job unless this path is truly tested? Learn to view complaints as a live test for your customer service model, see it as an opportunity to train your staff and improve your handling. Well handled complaints can transform customers into loyal customers, the competency of your business to deal with issues professionally and successfully can gain customers for life.
A customer that complains is looking to be heard, to have their complaint understood, for a resolution and for empathy for their situation. A complaint that’s resolved well is likely to make a lasting impression. This is an opportunity to make your business memorable to your customer in a positive way. Should they require your products or services in the future, why would they consider going elsewhere if they felt they were dealt with appropriately in the light of what could have been a difficult situation.
Learn not to panic, learn to trust your customer service model, and in times where your customer service model fails, learn to see it as your opportunity to improve. Don’t be afraid to admit to a customer that their complaint wasn’t handled in the best possible way, but be honest and tell them that improvements are already being made in light of this to aid other customers.
