Whether your business is online or offline, customer complaints can’t be avoided. Being the one who represents the brand, you have to use all the tricks in your arsenal to resolve the conflict the fastest and the most peaceful way possible for the Written complaints against GPs continue to increase in the UK
They’re not angry at you – when you’re in the customer service department, maintaining a positive outlook makes a lot of difference. Keep in mind that no matter how angry or frustrated the customer is, he is not angry at you, rather at the situation that he is in. And you’re given the privilege to resolve the conflict and help the client. Be calm. As a customer service representative, you must: they have the right to complain
Listen – gather as much information as you can for you to respond to the client accordingly. What made him angry? What does he want? What are his expectations? Dig deeper into the problem. Listen more and talk less. This is the key to good customer service. Besides, people always need to let the steam off; once it’s out, they can revert to their old calm, collected and reasonable self. By giving them the liberty to express their frustrations, you convey a message that you care about what they say; that what they feel is important to you. What to do next?
Respond immediately – a great customer service representative has excellent decision-making skills. After gathering all the information, you should know the next step to take. Speed is everything when it comes to dealing with complaints. This is one way of winning back the customer that you may certainly lose if you further delay things. Procrastination has no room in the customer service department. Why delay things that you can do now? It will only aggravate the situation.
What happens if you can’t accomplish the request immediately?
The least you can do is to inform the client right away and give them a timeline of when you can attend to and complete their request, in order to avoid them suing you or suing the NHS.
Keep them updated – have you ever experienced being kept in the dark by anyone? Not a fan of the feeling right? This is the worst thing that can happen to a customer. Let them know of the progress of their request, whether major or minor; they have to know. Status updates let customers know that you value them that much that you’re doing something to resolve their problem. If you can’t resolve the problem because of a major setback, communicate with them right away. This way, they would be able to make adjustments and proceed to Plan B if they have to.
Go the extra mile – complaints mean unhappy customers. Whether or not it’s your fault, you’re still dealing with an unhappy customer. That’s just how it goes in business sometimes. Bad news spread so quickly, so why not go an extra mile to turn their frown upside down? It may cost you time and money, but this will turn the tables in your favor. You’ll have an indebted and happy client that will go around town talking about how great your company is.
Admit and fix your mistakes – justifying your actions when it’s clear as daylight that you’re wrong will not win you any love from present and future clients. The fastest way to gain a bad reputation is by not owning up to your mistakes. Transparency is essential in any business; also true in service work. Don’t forget to thank the client for pointing out the mistakes. This goes to show that you value high-quality output and that you value your customers.