It happens to the best of the best

Now let’s talk about what to do about it.

On the spot complaints:

The best thing you can do is solve the issue in the moment, so the customer doesn’t leave angry, so let’s talk about some strategies on how we can accomplish this.

First, showing appreciation can go a long way.   Appreciate the customer for bringing this to your attention – why? Because this allows you the opportunity to fix it in the moment without them going home to complain later (which will mean twice the work to fix the issue and get them to return)

Apologize – A sincere apology.  Take a breath, look them in the eye and apologize. Sometimes this is all they need with the guarantee you will do better next time.

Ease their mind – Listen to them and assure the customer you have their complete attention with the issue and work with them to develop a solution.

Do not get defensive!!! At the end of the day this is not about you, it is about them.

Take a minute and look at the situation, what happened? How would you feel if the same thing happened to you?  is this person just being irate because of a bad day they are having?  Look at the person, who are they? Are they making this into a bigger situation than it is? Taking a moment to gather information and looking at it objectively is the best thing you can do before entering the situation.  Being understanding, kind and patient with their issue can deescalate a situation quickly.

Looking at who the person is, is a great way of knowing how to approach the situation.  Is this an older person who may not have a lot going in their life currently and plenty of time to complain? Or is this someone who is quickly to get irate but easily quelled with the simple of gestures as they are busy with no time.  It may seem a bit unkind to make assumptions but sometimes it is the best way to come at the problem.  If the person is retired and has a lot of time on their hands a longer personal conversation would help deescalate the problem, they want to be seen, heard and made to feel special.  A busier person who must rush to work, would most likely just like the product replaced or the problem rectified as quickly as possible. When you take this moment to gauge the needs of a person it makes it a lot easier to satisfy them on the first try.

What should we offer?

Well you tried your apology and it didn’t work so what do you offer? I never like to suggest throwing money at the problem.  Even though it is the easiest solution it is the least sincere and the most expensive.  Sometimes a customer just wants to be heard so offering them the opportunity to really address their concerns makes them feel heard and that they are taking steps of making real change is important to them. Other times you may need to offer the customer a take away; can you replace the product? Or offer them a new one next time? Could you offer them something in addition to what they are purchasing (like a small token of appreciation)? Doing this would be cheaper than a gift card for the store as it can be marked out instead.

No one likes to have unhappy customers, the key to it is to not take it personally.  Be empathetic to the situation but do not take it into your core being.  Protecting yourself is the first step in helping others.  Always remember that at the end of the day you are a good person with a good heart and if you have tried all the strategies and truthfully done everything you could, and they are still unhappy, that is on them. Solidly know there was nothing else you could have done, they made the choice to remain angry and carry it and its not yours to carry as well.

Stay Strong during the Holiday Season!

Next week we will talk about faceless complaints, the online beast.