How to Better Manage Customer Complaints

Better Manage Customer Complaints to Improve Customer Loyalty
Did you know that the majority of customers (some report up to 95%) who receive timely satisfaction after lodging a complaint will come back to purchase again? These are customers you want to recapture – not only because they are future buyers but also because you don’t want them spreading any word of dissatisfaction.

Dissatisfied Customers Hurt Business
Research has shown that a typical dissatisfied customer will tell eight to ten people about their problem.  One in five will tell twenty. And it takes twelve positive service incidents to make up for one negative incident.

How to Better Manage Customer Complaints
Managing customer complaints then becomes a critical part of your customer care training programs and culture. Do you even have a process for handling different types of complaints? If not, design one. If so, be sure that it encompasses the following:

1. Clarity
   A clearly articulated procedure for complaints that your customer service reps can follow and explain to customers.
2. Monitoring
   Regular evaluation and revision of the process to see that no complaints are being ignored or mishandled.
3. Speed
   A way to ensure quick customer problem resolution.
4. Follow-up
   Consistent after-the-fact check-ins to ensure that the customer has been satisfied and the complaint resolved
5. Reward and Recognition
   Reinforced appreciation for customer care team members when they successfully turn an unhappy customer into a loyal one

The Bottom Line
While not every customer complaint is a direct signal that something is wrong, they are always an opportunity to get and act upon feedback.  Is your customer care team set up to consistently deliver prompt and courteous attention to complaining customers to transform them into loyal and dedicated customers?

To learn more about how to better manage customer complaints to improve customer loyalty, download How to Move Customers from Loyalists to Advocates

by Tristam Brown: CEO

Tristam Brown is an executive business consultant and organizational development expert with more than three decades of experience helping organizations accelerate performance, build high-impact teams, and turn strategy into execution. As CEO of LSA Global, he works with leaders to get and stay aligned™ through research-backed strategy, culture, and talent solutions that produce measurable, business-critical results. See full bio.