Greener Business Bureau

Posts Tagged ‘Customer Complaints’

Virtually every organization encounters customer complaints from time to time. Sometimes it is easy to get caught up in the complaints and to lose track of how many satisfied customers say nothing at all. Even worse, sometimes it is hard to remember just how valuable a customer complaint can be to the organization. Contrary to how it may feel to be the recipient of a customer complaint, it is a wonderful opportunity if embraced with commitment and integrity. You can turn customer complaints into valuable assets.

First, it is important to recognize that the majority of customers who complain are loyal customers who care about your business.

Customers who take the time to complain are also taking the time to tell you what went wrong with your process, your product or your communication. It takes some effort for a customer to contact you and tell you how the product, process or communications did not live up to expectations. This is an opportunity to reward the customer for taking the time to contact you and to learn how you can make internal improvements. If you can fix the problem for one complaining customer it may help many other customers, including the ones who never contacted you.

Loyal customers believe that you want to know what went wrong, and trust you to make it right. Loyal customers give you a chance to fix the issue. If one customer complains, it is typically an indication that there are several more with the same experience. If a complaining customer is irate, it is because the customer is disappointed. If there are other disappointed customers who do not call, you can bet that those customers have already given up on you. Customers who are disappointed and do not complain are already lost, but you have a chance to save the ones who are loyal enough to give you the opportunity to respond.

The complaining customer trusts you to care.

The complaining customer trusts you to care, this is why the customer contacted you. Don’t avoid them, embrace them. If a customer does not contact you, it does not mean that they did not experience a similar issue. The customers who to not trust you, or do not believe that you will care, do not take the time to contact you. Customers with similar issues who do not contact you are already lost. The customers who do take the time to complain are the most loyal customers because they believe in you, in spite of the problem that they are experiencing.

Remember that the customer is not complaining about you, they are expressing the dissatisfaction to you. You are not the problem, you are the solution. Rather than perceiving the customer frustration as a personal attack, think of yourself as a person that the customer is coming to for help. How you respond to the complaining customer will determine the long term loyalty of the customer. Take care of a customer who takes time to communicate with you, and you may preserve the loyalty. Let them go, and they will communicate the experience to many other potential customers.

Turn complaints into assets.

Fix the customer and then fix the problem. Your first priority should be to understand the personal impact of the problem with your customer. It may be that the frustration expressed by the customer is the result of some dynamic impact other than the issue itself. The customer may feel mislead by communications, betrayed by the organization, or suffered some other impact as the result of the original problem. Listen to the underlying message of the complaint so you can identify what it will take to reassure the customer and address the specific needs.

Once you understand the root cause of the complaint, you may have an opportunity to implement changes that could avoid a reoccurrence of the problem. This may be your opportunity to increase customer satisfaction at an exponential rate.. If you can not eliminate the problem, at least you can use the experience to prepare a responsible solution for other customers who may have the same complaint. If it can not be eliminated, at least you can plan and prepare.

Preserve loyal customers who take the time to complain. Use the experience to eliminate defects, plan for countermeasures and responses.

How much money is invested in sales efforts, marketing, advertising and the acquisition of new customers? How much are you prepared to invest in the customers who have experienced a problem due to your organization and still trust you enough to take care of them?

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Words of Wisdom

“Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.”
- Bill Gates

“Too many people think only of their own profit. But business opportunity seldom knocks on the door of self-centered people. No customer ever goes to a store merely to please the storekeeper.”
- Kazuo Inamori

“The customer doesn’t expect everything will go right all the time; the big test is what you do when things go wrong.”
- Sir Colin Marshall

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It’s possible that in the course of your business dealings, you may (just may) have to deal with a complaint from a customer or client ….

There are two ways you can go about this:

1. You can stand up for your rights (and lose the customer and any possible referrals)

2. You can keep your temper and keep your customer

REPLIES TO COMPLAINTS

Most businesses these days have (or should have) as their policy that the customer is always right. It’s far better business sense to replace a couple of items which don’t need replacing, and reap the reward of customer satisfaction and possible referrals, than to insist on your rights and lose unknown numbers of customers and referrals.

So, the aim of your response to an irate customer is to find out what he/she wants and to give it to him/her. Even if the request appears to be entirely unreasonable, what you earn in Brownie Points, often makes up for what you lose in replacing the item (unless of course it’s a Maserati or the like!).

HOW TO RESPOND

1. Express regret, sincerely. Don’t say, “We can’t understand how this happened,” because this implies that the customer is careless or stupid, since no-one else has had this trouble.

2. Explain how the trouble occurred. Your customer is entitled to know what went wrong (this also reflects well on your business, since it shows that you’ve taken the complaint seriously enough to investigate it thoroughly, and we all like to be taken seriously).

3. Tell the customer what you are going to do to rectify the situation. The best thing to do is exactly what the customer said he wanted. If this is totally impossible, suggest a viable alternative.

Sometimes the customer will be at fault, by forgetting to include a correct address or leaving out the cheque etc.
Again, don’t write anything that might make the customer feel silly.

NOT “… you failed to enclose your cheque …”

BUT “Your goods are packed and ready for despatch. Immediately on receipt of your cheque, which apparently was overlooked in your original letter, we shall send them as requested.”

Sometimes, it’s just not possible to give the customer what he wants; and in this case you must exercise extreme tact in the wording of your letter.

The best way of refusing is as follows:

1. Begin with the refusal. I know it’s painful, but it’s far better to let your customer know how things stand from the very beginning.

2. Explain, in detail, why the request had to be refused. This way, you have the rest of your letter to try to set things right with your customer, and hopefully to end on a positive note (rather than hitting him with the refusal at the end).

Note:

o the expression of regret should sound sincere. “I am sorry…” sounds better than the colder, “I regret to inform you “

o point out all the reasons for refusing the request

o soften the blow by offering some small consideration. It might be a discount on the next purchase; a voucher for a smaller item (a scarf, tie etc); a complimentary gizmo from another business (with whom you have a reciprocal arrangement); flowers; tickets to a film or whatever.

Such sweeteners are worth much more than their cost. Instead of a disgruntled customer, blackening your name, you’ll have a happy person, willing to tell everyone her story’s happy ending. Listeners will see your side and will say things like, ” …well, they didn’t have to do anything really, but wasn’t it nice of them?”

N.B. If the spelling of words like “cheque” in this article worried you, please read this: http://www.write101.com/aus.htm

No matter how ethical or how fair you are with your painting business, conflicts can arise with customers. You need to have some effective methods in place to help you deal with them. You certainly don’t want bad information circulating about your business. People tend to say more about a poor business experience than one that is positive so the number of people they can reach can be plentiful. If they place their comments online you will find even more people see them.

Of course all they will be getting is that customer’s side of the story. You don’t want to be intimidated into letting them take advantage of you. Effectively handling customer conflicts is very important for your painting business. Make sure that all customers know they can come to you with any questions or problems. If they know you are on their side they will be more amicable when they do approach you about a situation.

Listen to what the customer is saying before you respond. This is very important so you get the full story. You also want to repeat what you heard so that the situation is clear to both of you. Miscommunication from the start can create havoc with the situation instead of helping you to find a solution you are both happy with.

Ask the customer what type of resolution they would be happy with in regards to the situation. Then find some middle ground that you can both work with. If what they are complaining about was clearly written in the contract then point that out to them. They may have overlooked certain fees or specifications.

While you can’t completely prevent such problems from arising, how you choose to handle them is important. If your customer doesn’t feel valued then they may refuse to pay you. They can also file complaints with the BBB against your painting business. If they do so you have an opportunity to respond with your version of what took place.

You will earn the respect of your customers though when you work with them to find a solution. They will definitely recommend your painting business to other people. They will also come back to you for future work because they feel you appreciate them and aren’t just trying to get their money.

Some companies track a monthly “complaints and compliments ratio” for each branch, store, department, country or station. This approach has a fundamental flaw when it comes to customer service training.

Here’s why:
A complaints and compliments ratio encourages staff to actively avoid or suppress written complaints from customers. After all, every written complaint will impact the ratio to their disadvantage. This means any lessons that could be used to improve customer service training might be lost.

For example, if your station gets 3 compliments and 0 complaints, and my station has 6 compliments and 3 complaints, whose station has a better ratio? Yours has, of course.

But which station is gathering more written feedback from customers? Which station is harnessing more input, suggestions, responses and reactions for detailed review and better customer service training? Mine!

I agree that staff should do whatever they can to satisfy customers right away, but they should also encourage customers to write down and submit their comments quickly and easily.

This real-time “voice of the customer” feedback should be circulated widely within the organization and carefully studied by all departments for improve customer service training. Such direct input can provide valuable insights and better understanding of current, and changing, customer expectations.

When comments filtered through managers replace direct commentary written by customers, subtle nuances may be lost. Don’t let this happen to you.

Instead of a complaints and compliments ratio, try using a “comments from customers ratio.” With this approach, gathering bountiful customer input is more important – and rewarded – than suppressing customer complaints.

Key Learning Point

Written feedback from customers is priceless especially to improve customer service training. It gives you unvarnished input you can study, circulate and discuss to improve customer service training. Instead of penalizing your staff for complaints, praise them for actively seeking input and ideas from the folks who know you best – your customers.

Action Steps

Design a small, attractive Customer Comment Card that is simple and easy to use. On one side print “Thank you for letting us know” with a blank area for their comments. On the other side, provide space for your customer’s name and contact information (optional).

Place the cards where customers will easily find them: on counters, in packaging, etc. Give cards to all staff members and encourage them to seek out customers’ comments.

Track the volume of written input over time. Run a contest to increase the flow. Set a standard for the minimum number of customer comments each month. Use the feedback to improve customer service training for the benefit of all.

Incoming search terms:

Do you ever pick up the phone only to find an angry customer on the other end? Perhaps a trash can didn’t get emptied the night before, or the dusting isn’t up to par. Customer complaints are inevitable for a cleaning company, but there are a number of things that you can do to minimize the frequency. Here are some of the common complaints received by commercial cleaning companies and tips on how to solve the problem.

1. Supplies Empty. If roll towels are being used, you can replace smaller rolls of 350′ with rolls of 800′ with stub roll access. Most 350′ roll dispensers will handle 800′ rolls without replacing the current dispenser. The same can be true for center-pull towels. If using a smaller roll, replace with a larger roll. If you have to replace dispensers, do so. It’s a small price to pay in order to keep the customer happy.

If replacing dispensers is not an option, ensure your employees are properly trained on how to stock dispensers. When stocking hand towel dispensers (multi-fold, single-fold, c-fold towels), train employees to fill the dispensers two-thirds full. Filling dispensers to the brim puts a lot of weight on the bottom towels, causing them to tear apart when pulling them out. If the dispenser tends to run out your can either put in a second dispenser or leave a stack on the counter.

If you run out of toilet paper you can leave an extra roll on the back of the toilet or change the dispenser to a twin roll or jumbo roll dispensers.

2. Dirty Restrooms. Restroom training programs that lay out each step for cleaning a restroom is essential. With so many steps, it can be easy for a new employee to forget an important procedure that is likely to cause a complaint. One way to make it easier for employees is to give them color-coded microfiber cloths. For instance, blue cloths for cleaning mirrors and polished stainless steel, red cloths for toilets and urinals, and yellow cloths for countertops, sinks, dispensers, partitions, and walls.

One common restroom complaint has nothing to do cleaning procedures, but should be taken care of by the janitorial staff. Oftentimes odors come from the floor drain because it has dried out. Simply pouring water down the drain on a weekly basis can eliminate the odors.

3. Inadequate dusting is a very common complaint. If workers rush through their work to get the job done, dusting tends to be the task that gets neglected first because it’s much less noticeable than not emptying a trash can, for instance.

The most effective tool to use for dusting is a microfiber cloth. Microfiber cloths pick up the dust rather than moving it around or making it airborne, like feather dusters, which means the dust won’t re-settle onto surfaces. Use a green microfiber cloth for dusting. Be sure to point out commonly missed areas to employees – build-up around calculators, stacking baskets, pictures, sides of desks, and chair legs. Make sure supervisors pay special attention to these areas when walking through the building.

4. Trash Not Emptied. When training new employees, point out hidden trash cans. There should always be a specific path to follow so a trash can is not inadvertently missed. Typically employees should go counter-clockwise around the room, zig-zagging back and forth down aisles and through the hallways. A good way to double check the work is to check the cans while vacuuming to ensure they’ve been emptied.

5. Lack of Vacuuming. Train employees to move through the office counter-clockwise to ensure all areas are vacuumed. Mats should be vacuumed, and then rolled up so the area underneath can be vacuumed.

Cleaning personnel should be using the correct vacuum for the job. For instance, if a wide track vacuum cleaner is being used to vacuum tight areas like underneath desks, then it’s likely that bits of paper and paper clips are going to be missed. The right vacuum should be used for the space that’s being vacuumed. For large, open areas use wide track vacuums. Back pack vacuums are great for regular office vacuuming and detail work.

Consistent training of all employees using detailed training programs is of key importance in order to avoid customer complaints. When employees use the same procedures every day, they are much less likely to make mistakes. It is also important to do follow-up training. This will ensure that all employees are using the right cleaning system for the location and are reminded of the proper step-by-step procedures to use.

At a time when shopping is big as well as returning items, we find items that don’t work or live up to our expectations. Rather than just complain, do something about it. It might surprise you. I bought two items that came with a pen and the pen didn’t work on either. I wrote the company about it and the company promptly sent me replacements.

In another situation, my Microsoft mouse stopped working. Microsoft’s customer service was easy to reach and will send a replacement as soon as it’s in stock. On the flip side, I contacted Logitech support to ask questions and it was one of the longest, most tortuous support calls.

The Dallas Morning News had an article on the topic and how to best go about product problems. The article included an interview with Tim Duffy, a consumer evangelist who says he’s not a fan of sites like Planet Feedback (planetfeedback.com).

When something breaks or doesn’t work right, here are the steps that work well for me:

1. If the problem occurs within days after buying the item, return it to the store and exchange it or get a refund.

2. If the problem occurs past the return date, go to the company’s Web site and search for information on the problem.

3. If the Web site doesn’t have the answers, search the Internet for resolutions. This works more than you might think.

4. Call the company if you make it this far. It might lead to a replacement, repair, or some other solution.

5. Let others know about your experience by posting reviews on Amazon, forums, or wherever you like to share your thoughts.

Here are the sites referenced in the article.

* thesqueakywheel.com

* consumervoiceusa.com

* mywoes.com

* complainbook.com