Handling
Customer Complaints
Tools to
diffuse anger and regain patient
loyalty
By Marcy Bruch
So your customer has a complaint. At that moment, you can respond the right way and use the opportunity to heal hard feelings and restore patient loyalty. Or, you can react the wrong way, making it more likely that you will lose that customer's business forever. It's all a matter of how you handle the situation.
According to small business management specialist Dale Zetocha, who wrote the article "Retaining Customers by Handling Complaints," published through Michigan State University in Lansing, Mich., if you handle a customer's complaint correctly, 96 percent of those people will remain loyal to your business. By contrast, 65 to 90 percent of your silent, dissatisfied customers will not buy from you again. And you will never know why. In the end, handling customer complaints effectively is a golden opportunity to ensure the future of your dispensary.
CONFLICT RESOLUTION
Whether it's a delay getting a frame from a lab or the need for a redo, service breakdowns and failures inevitably occur and customers will become frustrated.
The good news is most people understand that even the most well-managed businesses occasionally have a bad day. However, many disappointed customers are uncomfortable about the confrontational nature of complaining, so an inadequate resolution can result in yet more anger and frustration for the patients.
It is, therefore, critical to take certain steps at the time the complaint is being voiced. One newsletter for small business owners, "Your Real Goals," available at www.real-goals.com, suggests three steps: Apologize, empathize, and give assurance. Allow customers to do all the ranting and raving they need to do first, then start these three steps.
Apologize for the breakdown or failure. The apology must appear genuine and not an empty excuse. An apology neutralizes negative emotions and paves the path toward a repaired relationship.
Empathize with the customer's frustration. You should relate back to the customer your understanding of the service breakdown. Show regret that the lab has delayed his or her frame delivery or didn't get the lens tint quite right. At that point, you can double check records or invoices to further investigate how the error occurred.
"I suggest that after a customer is finished complaining, you respond by asking them, 'What would you like me to do?' Nine times out of 10, what they want from you is less than what you had expected to give them," says Rene Soltis, VCA spokesperson and training consultant who conducts seminars on the subject. "Also, thank them for bringing the problem to your attention so you can correct the situation."
Offer assurance that you will do something about it. According to "Your Real Goals," there are two types of assurances: The immediate customer fix assurance and the prevention of future breakdown assurance.
The first assurance is to orally explain what you are going to do to fix the problem and then take actions that will result in a prompt remedy. "It's critical you repair, replace, or remake in a timely manner, then follow-up to see that they are satisfied with the results," says Soltis.
The second type of assurance is particularly important when the inconvenience or loss suffered by the customer cannot be fully eliminated or corrected--such as a frame that simply can't be repaired. In this instance, you must assure the customer that steps will be taken to prevent a future situation or the same breakdown. This is an important step because it shows that you are striving to improve your business and comforts the customer who hopes his complaint has an impact.
WHAT NOT TO DO
Here are some things not to do while you are in the process of resolving a complaint.
Don't get defensive. Do not take their anger personally. It is a result of service failure.
Don't refuse or decline to take responsibility. Remember the old adage, the customer is always right.
Don't do anything before you apologize. Regardless of whether the apology is for your own acts, the acts of others, or on behalf of the business generally, the apology creates an atmosphere in which a relationship can be repaired.
Never say, "We are doing our best." To say you are doing your best is to say that your business is not meeting the needs of customer expectations. You might as well say, "Take your business elsewhere."
Don't fail to train employees on the process of resolving customer complaints. Make it easy for them to handle complaints by having them memorize these easy-to-remember concepts: Apologize, empathize, and give assurance that the problem will be corrected.
Practice these steps and you are on your way to turning complainers into some of your most loyal customers.
Dealing with Angry Customers |
Here's a basic, seven-step technique for dealing with a customer complaint either over the telephone or face to face. 1. Listen. Allow the customers to say their peace. Let them let off steam, which will help diffuse the situation. During this process, do not interrupt. Make sure you are writing down the key issues and facts as the customer is speaking, and remember to actively acknowledge what the customer is saying 2. Show empathy. Regardless of the rights and wrongs of the matter, sympathize, show understanding and concern. 3. Gain information. Make certain that you have all the facts needed to take action to solve the complaint. Promise to investigate when you have heard all that the customer has to say. Explain what you are going to do and take the necessary action. 4. Ask questions. Remember there are two basic types of questions: Open and closed. It is very important, especially in the early stages of a complaint from a customer, to establish what has gone wrong. 5. Summarize. Summarize the situation as you see it. This will help to eliminate any misunderstandings and could prevent you from taking some inappropriate actions. 6. Make suggestions. Consider the facts, as well as the alternative possible actions, and start the remedial action now. Remember what the customer wants, above all else, is prompt action. 7. Take positive action. After you have analyzed the facts, and corrective action has begun or been taken, you should again contact the customer to check that everything is to their satisfaction. You have now regained the customer's confidence in your company. Source: www.dmccormick.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk. |
Complaint Customer Profiles and Responses |
According to the article "Customer Complaints and Types of Customers," written by Allen F. Wysocki, Karl W. Kepner, and Michelle W. Glasser of the University of Florida, there are five types of complainers who require different responses. 1. The Meek Customer: Generally will not complain. Response: You must work hard at soliciting comments and complaints and act appropriately to resolve complaints. Ask them to fill out feedback cards. Remember, that if these customers are dissatisfied and never verbalize that, they will just silently walk away from your business and you will lose a valuable customer. 2. The Aggressive Customer: Readily complains often, loudly, and at length. Response: Listen completely, ask "what else," agree that the problem exists, and indicate what will be done to resolve it and when. 3. The High-Roller Customer: Expects the absolute best and is willing to pay for it. Likely to complain in a reasonable manner. Is interested in results and what you are going to do to recover from the customer service breakdown. Response: Always listen respectfully and actively and question carefully to fully determine the cause. Ask, "what else" and correct the situation. Like the aggressive customer, he is not interested in excuses. 4. The Rip-Off Customer: The goal is not to get the complaint satisfied, but rather to win by getting something the customer is not necessarily entitled to receive. A constant and repetitive "not good enough" response to efforts to satisfy this customer is a sure indicator of a rip-off artist. Response: Remain unfailingly objective. Use accurate quantified data to backup your response. Be sure the adjustment is in keeping with what the organization would normally do under the circumstances. Consider the response, "What can I do to make things right?" after the first time you hear "not good enough." 5. The Chronic Complainer: This customer's mission is to whine. Yet he cannot be dismissed. Response: Extraordinary patience is required, without getting angry. A sympathetic ear, a sincere apology, and an honest effort to correct the situation is most productive. Unlike the Rip-Off Customer, most Chronic Complainers will accept and appreciate any efforts taken to make things right. |