Customer issues often present a challenge to turn unhappy clients into satisfied and loyal customers. The following pointers will help you handle the issues more efficiently.
The starting point is to repeat back all of the facts you might have gathered around the issue. Having said that, at this stage, do not be tempted into declaring whether you consider the issue is correct or not. By keeping quiet, you gain in two ways.
Firstly, you can be certain that you have completely and accurately understood the criticism and secondly, your client can have the opportunity to alter their issue. They are in a position to alter any demands at this stage without them losing face.
Under all situations, avoid attempting to explain the reason for a problem by blaming it on others who’re not present. If you do, chances are you’ll create a boomerang effect and give the customer an excuse to refuse to do business with you in the future.
Ask questions to discover exactly what led to the problem. Use questions beginning with: Who? What? How? Exactly where? Just how much? Why? When? Only after all the specifics are clear can you continue in the direction of a satisfactory resolution.
Ask open, not closed questions because they result in more in-depth answers. They also help ensure the customer is acting honestly.
Look carefully at the merchandise because clients have been known to complain about products which they had in truth obtained from some other business. It’s part of individual’s nature to not at all times tell the whole truth. You also really don’t wish to convey the impression that complaints really are a frequent occurrence with this product or service.
For that reason, examine closely the supposedly defect components and/or talk with the man or woman, in the client’s organization, who is responsible for working with your product. This can assist to exclude as being a cause for the issue maltreatment by the client. Investigate every one of the “facts” totally whenever you suspect that the client is making an unjustified criticism but don’t state your suspicion.
The customer is a lot more likely to back off as the specifics start to emerge. If not, you will want to discuss possible additional things to try or do with your sales manager.
Check out the defects on site whenever it is possible to. Verify that the device is broken, or that the materials are unsuitable or the packaging defective. Ask the client politely to show you the documentation which triggered their criticism. You could also take a picture of the damage, if possible.
It could be that the facts are muddled, so that it is really tough to find out the reasons of the issue or that both sides are to blame. In these circumstances it truly is useful to ask the client how she sees the matter could be resolved. In that way, the customer can place themselves in your shoes and this will likely assist them to be more reasonable in their expectations.
Come up with ideas yourself to ease the burden for the client. Just suggest remedies which you’re able to authorize or set up on your own. Examples of these may comprise an alternative delivery, co-operation with other customers, a temporary workforce, partial delivery, a financial concession, incentive actions, or additional service. The objective must be to come up with an answer that both sides are actually content with.
Never make unrealistic promises as a way to avoid further troubles. Do not make promises that the company is unable to deliver or raise fake expectations such as, “We will deal with it.” Rather, it is advisable to explain your complaints procedure.
Occasionally you’ve no alternative but to record the issue and reassure the client that you’ll do everything in your power to resolve it. This will be the case, for example, when you have to get more information or authorisation from a manager.
Tell the client precisely what actions you can take and when you will get back to the customer. Be sure that you do get back to the customer. This will allow you time to examine the complaint and also to think the way to tackle it in the most practical manner.
Do promise the client that you will take care of the complaint in a speedy, fair and comprehensive way. Prompt help is specially important when an issue is justified. If it’s not your responsibility to take corrective action, quickly pass the issue to the right person.
You will need to monitor the complaint’s progress. It is important to remember that the customer’s predicament needs to be your concern. If not, that client may very well turn into someone else’s.
Do not neglect to thank the client. When both sides have come to a satisfactory agreement and the complaint is resolved, then it is important to thank the client especially for his or her perception, understanding, help, compliance and patience and so on. Tell the customer that you were in a position to initiate product improvements as a result of their fast report, and so avoid creating precisely the same problems for other customers.
Finally, regardless of whether or not you personally took care of the complaint or a colleague from your company has completed this for you, you’ll carry out a final conversation with your customer. You would ask them whether all the things were handled to their total satisfaction.
It helps to keep in mind that old saying: the client just isn’t pleased until they’ve explicitly told you so.
About the Author
Richard Stone is a Director for Spearhead Training Limited, a company that specialises in management and sales training courses. Richard also provides consultancy advice for numerous world leading companies.
