51. Handle Customer Complaints

Working in customer service would be great if you did not have to deal with customer complaints, right? Think how pleasant your job would be if you only encountered happy customers who love everything you do. Now that’s dreaming, isn’t it? The truth is that in customer service, as in life, you will deal with people who are not happy. When you work in customer service, your job includes handling customers well—and that means handling all customers confidently in any situation.

Performance Prompts

Whenever you encounter a customer who is upset, angry, or complaining, determine:

• Why is the customer upset?

  • Listen actively to what the customer is saying. Do not interrupt.

  • Focus on the problem, not the person.

  • Stay calm and composed even if the customer is angry or upset.

  • View the situation from the customer’s perspective.

  • Assure the customer you will take care of the problem.

• What caused the problem?

  • Restate the problem to make sure you understand it correctly.

  • Research to identify the root cause of the problem.

  • Think about how you can resolve this.

• What can I say to make things right with the customer?

  • Apologize. It is the right thing to do when a customer is upset.

  • Display empathy. Put yourself in the customer’s shoes.

  • Appreciate the customer for giving you the chance to make things right.

• What is the best solution I can offer the customer?

  • Explain what you are going to do to correct the situation.

  • Tell the customer what you can do rather than what you can’t do.

  • Avoid assigning blame, either to the customer or to another employee.

  • If you have no clue what to do or if your recommendation is not satisfactory, work with the customer to find a viable solution.

• What do we need to do to keep this from happening again?

  • Follow up to make sure the customer is satisfied with the resolution.

  • Analyze what went wrong.

  • Fix what needs to be fixed.

When This Happens ...

You answer a call from an upset customer. She is yelling into the phone, and you find your stomach knotting up.

Try This

Remember that she is not angry at you. Follow the performance prompts step by step to figure out what happened and how you can resolve the problem. By calming yourself and not taking her anger personally, you are in a better position to listen well, analyze what went wrong, and find the best solution.

When a customer complains, look at it as an opportunity to improve.