3 Ways to Handle Customer Complaints Properly

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September 30, 2014

No matter how well your company performs a job, sometimes you have to deal with disgruntled people who raise their voices and complain readily. The faster we learn how to handle criticism and defuse it effectively, the better off we are. This isn’t my favorite part of the job — and I don’t claim to be the best at it — but here’s my advice:

  1. Learn to listen. Give the customer your undivided attention and the proper time to vent. The importance of this acknowledgement, and the patience you must have when listening, is huge. It will be appreciated and noticed by the customer. Keep in mind nonverbal messages can say as much to a customer as the words we speak. Staring at the floor, arms folded with your eyes rolling, or looking like you can’t wait to run away aren’t appropriate mannerisms. Acknowledge the customer’s remarks and apologize with sincerity. Inform the client about the action(s) that will be taken to make things right. It could be offering a refund or a free extra service to address a pest problem that persists. Whatever it takes to keep the customer is usually the best answer. We work hard to attract new customers, but we have to work harder to keep them, especially those who complain.
  2. Thank the customer for complaining. Although they’re discouraging to hear, complaints from customers provide an opportunity to improve performance. Studies show that for every customer who complains, there are at least 10 who were unhappy but said nothing. I know this is true because I rarely complain when I receive poor service. The silent majority often voices its complaints with economic criticism — they take their money and spend it with someone else. A customer who cares enough to complain is providing us with a valuable opportunity to make things right, so let it be known you’re grateful for the feedback. One of our best customers was unhappy with the service until she complained. After we listened to her sincerely and fixed her problem, she’s now a big fan of our company and offered one of the strongest testimonials on our website.
  3. Document the complaint for future reference, and track what your problems have been. This process will be invaluable to learn where your company needs improvement, and on what trends you should focus. What happens if you don’t handle a complaint successfully? Well, in today’s social media world, sit back and watch the wildfires spread. A typical disgruntled customer will share a bad experience 20 to 30 times with others if quick, corrective action isn’t taken.

You can reach Johnson, a past president of the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), president of Sevierville, Tenn.-based Johnson Pest Control, and founder of ACES for Business, at ray@johnsonpestcontrol.com.

 

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