When you run your own business, you will eventually have to deal with customer complaints. Being in business for over 20 years, I’ve had hundreds of customers. Naturally complaints were bound to happen.
Now that I do mainly online products, complaints still occur, but the nature of it changes a bit.
One thing to remember. If you don’t get any complaints, it may not necessarily be a good thing. Customer that don’t complain often just leave you without letting you know.
So how do I deal with complaints?
A complaint is feedback
I consider customer complaints as feedback. When customers make a complaint, they are giving you a chance to make things right. Usually it it not personal, so don’t take it personally.
Initially, I may feel a bit upset. That is normal.
After all, I’ve given my heart and soul into it, and you are still not satisfied?
What I do next is to take a bit of time to clear my head, and let the emotion pass.
This is not the time to write the email, or respond yet. You are either a bit angry, or perhaps a bit fearful in case you lose the customer or worst, the customer escalates the complaint. I usually take some time to think and cool down, and figure out how to solve the issue.
Next, I think to myself, how can I improve the customer’s experience.
The reason is simple. The customer have chosen to let you know why they are unhappy. Maybe I wasn’t clear. Maybe they receive something in the mail that was unexpected.
Whatever the complaint is, I try to get the facts first. This is also the time to re-assure the customer, you are there to solve the issue.
You have a choice
I’ve learned this a long time ago. I can choose to act on the feedback or I can choose to ignore it. Once I recognized that it is my choice, I find that I’m opened to any kind feedback.
Some people take it personally. I usually don’t take it personally. I say usually because I’m human, and the emotions do show up.
The feedback can be either true or false. Let’s say the customer accused you of cheating them. Perhaps what you said and how the product work don’t match up.
If the feedback is true, then you should change your presentation or explanation. If you are over selling, and under delivering, the market will find you out very quickly. This is no way to do business, and the complaints will keep happening.
However, if your explanation is clear and you are not cheating your customer, then perhaps the customer have unrealistic expectation, you may choose to ignore the complaint.
There are some customers, I’d rather refund them and move on. They are chronic complainers, or they have unrealistic expectations.
One-off, or recurring
The next step is I evaluate if the issue is just one-off, or can it recur? If it is a once off problem, then I just find ways to resolve it.
However, most genuine complaints or problems tend not to be one-off. If it can happen once, it can happen again. I then try to figure out how can I prevent it from happening again.
That’s why although you can choose to ignore some problems, often times it will recur until you do something about it. I prefer to be proactive and avoid another fire fighting situation.
For example, in my training courses, my customers have given me very valuable feedback. If I choose to think that these feedback were annoying, I could have missed out learning from them. Not only was the feedback was valuable for me, but also for future customers.
However, that meant making corrections for the entire course. A lot of hours spent to make corrections but I know it will avoid future problems.
Profiting from feedback
You can profit from feedback if you are open to it. For example, about a year plus ago, a few customers complained that the audio in my video tutorials were muffled.
At first I was puzzled because not everyone complained. Out of over 30 customers at that time, only 2 or 3 had that issue. I was particularly puzzled because I have test video reviewed by other online instructors, and they said it was okay for them.
Now, I could choose to ignore these 2 or 3 people and blame it on their computer speakers. After all, that could be the cause. But it stilled bugged me because I kept thinking why only these few people had such a hard time.
After a bit of digging deeper for the facts, and reading up on some articles, I discovered those customers have difficulty hearing certain sounds.
My voice tend to be a bit more bassy, and I’m not as articulate as native English speakers. So decided to test my theory, adjusted the audio in one video, and let the customer had a listen. Viola. They were so happy with the adjusted audio.
Just a small adjustment, and the issue was solved!
The customers were happy, I’m happy, and the issue never came up again for all the subsequent customers.
One last example, this time, from my wife’s business. While the customer didn’t really complain, she sort of insisted my wife create the product she wanted. At first, my wife had some doubts as to storage and shelf life. Long story short, from that one customer insistence, it is now a regular profitable product.
So, it pays to listen to your customers.
How do you deal with customer complaints? Keen to hear from you too. Add your comments below.
James Woo
