Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

Hi all,
I am a consumer advocate who now works with a number of companies and web based consumer organizations to help consumers get results when they have a complaint or an issue. I am interested in communicating with you good folks about what you do at your company when your customer or client has a complaint or issue with your product or service. I will be posting some ideas I have to help you and and your customers get solutions for their consumer related issues and problems. I get results and I help my customers and clients get results. MY goal is to find a win-win solution for both the customer or client and the company or organization involved. So, your customer or client has a complaint or an issue with your company, what would you do to try and resolve it for them? I look forward to your responses. Thank you.

To YOUR success!

Harold of HaroldSays-Changing the way America does business-one person and one company at a time!

“your customer or client has a complaint or an issue with your company, what would you do to try and resolve it for them?”

As you noted above, first and foremost listen to what he/she has to say. More often than not the person just wants to vent and the real cause of the problem is not the product or service in question, once he has said everything that’s on his mind. If it is obvious what he wants from what he said then just do it, if it is not ask him ‘what would you like me to do for you?’ then do it. Thank him for his patience and let him know you want him to keep using your products.

That is really all there is to customer service. Listen and satisfy the customer.

Great advice and words of wisdom to be sure. Please, feel free to post any other thoughts or ideas you have. I will be sharing more in the days to come. Again, thank you for your post and your thoughts. Regards,

Harold

I tell them we are no longer accepting complaints and they need to call back next month.

Hi Kregg,

What happens when you tell them that? Just curious. It is a funny answer to be sure. I am just interested to know how the customer responds to your answer.

Okay, so your customer or client has a complaint. You have them on the phone. You have taken a deep breath, closed your mouth, opened your ears and heart to them and have listened to them vent about their problem or concern. So, what do you do next?

You thank them for sharing their issue or problem with you. Then in a very short sentence or two you repeat back to them their major concern, problem, or issue. Sort of like this, "So that I can best help you with your concern (or problem), let me see if I understand exactly what your concern is. As I understand it your issue is (or problem-complaint)...then repeat back to them a paraphrased and short version of what you think they told you. Then ask them, "Is that correct?" Let them answer you as to whether you clearly understand the nature of their problem or concern or not. If you do,  then move on to the next part of the call. If your customer does not feel that you properly understand the nature of their concern or problem ask them to repeat it back to you one more time...so you can get a better understanding of what their issue is and be able to help them with it.

More to come next time. Thanks for reading and for posting.

Harold, HaroldSays-"Changing the way America does business!"

It was only a joke, we don`t get complaints, only positive feedback and compliments.

(this is also a joke)

Seriously, we do not get many complaints, but if we do, I do as you suggest, I listen carefully, ask them what it take to make things right, and offer a constructive resolution that works for both parties.

Harold,

Good subject. Such a good subject I wrote a short article on it back earlier this year for some publications I write for and it can be reviewed through the following link - called Thank the Complainers.

Thanks - R@

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Richard Arnold · Key Concept Writers · Business Communication: The "Key" To Success· Law of Attraction Blog · Life Ain`t Brain Surgery Blog

I love it! LOL! "What we wish we could do."

Best CS I ever saw was a manager I worked under in retail. When a customer went ballistic, nearing apoplexy with hollering, she would let them rant for a bit, not say anything, until they sort of ran out of breath.

Then she`d say, "I`m in a position to do something about your problem. Tell me, what can I do right now---right this moment---that would make you happy?"

It didn`t even have to be reasonable, but the customer was so shocked that they might have instant gratification, they calmed down. In almost every case, it was a very simple thing they wanted (money back, exchange, whatever). It`s only that they`d been so accustomed to getting a runaround, no action, and nobody to even listen, they`d psyched themselves up for a nuclear war.