How To Handle A Complaint Customer
1) Listen
Listen to everything the customer has to say. Let them get in off their chest.
2) Empathize
Tell the customer, “I am very sorry that you are upset,” or “I am very sorry that this happen to you.” You are not admitting guilt, just that you care about how they feel.
3) Clarify
Re-state the problem to the customer. Make sure you know why the customer is upset and show them you are listening.
4) Solution
Offer the customer a solution to the problem. Remember, you want to take care of the problem, but you must stay within your company policies. Never offer to give their money back at first. Once they have their money back, you’ve lost them as a customer.
5) Solution 2
If the first solution doesn’t make the customer happy, then offer another solution.
6) Customer’s Solution
If the customer is still not satisfied with your solutions, then ask “What would you like me to do?” If the request is reasonable, then honor the request. If the request is not reasonable, try to meet them half-way.
7) Turn Over
If customer is still not happy, ask for help. Maybe you are just not clicking with the customer. Maybe a manager or supervisor needs to get involved. Your goal is to win the customer. Only use if steps 1-6 don’t work. If you turn over a customer before you even try, that customer will never come to you again. Instead they will go to the person you turned them over to and then they will be their customer. Remember your goal is to win the customer over. When you take care of a customer with a problem, you will likely win a customer for life.
8) Atonement
Say you're sorry again for the customer being upset. If the customer was really upset and the problem was yours or the company's fault make sure you mean it. If your company will allow it try to give them a free gift. It doesn’t have to be anything big, just something to show that you care about their feelings.
9) Thank You
Thank them for their patience and understanding.
10) Follow-Up
If you have something else to do to take care of this problem, then get it done and get it done right. If you fail to follow-up you will loose the customer forever. If on the other hand you do a great job of following-up, you will win a customer for life and that customer will bring you more customers.
Remember one thing whenever you are helping a customer, “Do onto others as you would have done onto you.”
