I’ve just read a fantastic article about complaint handling by management consultant Jon Stephenson. The article makes some great points about how to handle complaints in a simple and effective way.
I’ve listed the main points here, and at the end of this blog I’ve included a link so that you can read Jon’s full article, which I highly recommend. Here are the main points of the article:
Your number one priority:
- Deal with the complaint immediately - don't put it to one side.
- Free up time to resolve the complaint by delegating or rescheduling other work.
- Ensure that the customer knows you are treating their complaint seriously and with urgency.
Own it throughout:
- Ensure the customer knows that you are owning their complaint.
- Keep them informed throughout your investigations.
- Continue to own the complaint even if you need to call upon other departments.
Match response to demand:
- Tailor your response - using the same method, style and tone, where appropriate, as your customer.
- Address all of the points raised by the customer.
- Reach a fair resolution.
Always empathise:
- Apologise for the mistake or action that caused the customer's dissatisfaction.
- Thank the customer for giving you the opportunity to put things right.
- Look at the complaint from your customer's point of view.
Provide support on demand:
- Call upon any additional support you need to resolve the complaint.
- Ensure they understand exactly what you need from them.
- Make sure they treat it with the same priority.
Sort it out fully:
- Make sure that all of the follow-up actions are completed within agreed timescales and to the required level.
- Don't sacrifice quality for speed of resolution.
- Identify the root cause of the complaint and take preventative action.
You can read the full article here: