|
Why Do Your Customers Complain? (Part II)
Robert Warlow
Small Business Success
In the first article we started to look at why our
customers complain. For all the best will in the world, we inevitability get
complaints but the best businesses try and head complaints off at the pass!
The root of any complaint can be down to either an
operational issue or human interaction. In the previous article we
considered some of the operational problems the way you deliver your
product or service - which can lead to an angry call from a previously
satisfied customer. But the human side of business can also generate
complaints your staff! No matter how good your product is, one loose
cannon in your team can upset everything.
So, in this second article, we
will look at the human side of complaints what actions your staff take
that can lead to a customer picking up the phone or putting pen to paper!
Bad Attitude
There's no getting away from it some people have a bad
hair day every day! The way they speak to people is enough to turn the most
mild mannered of customers against your company. They act as if the customer
is an interference to their daily routine. A person with poor job skills can
be taught the relevant knowledge or skills but a person with a generally bad
attitude, the proverbial chip on the shoulder, is harder to bring into line.
These type of people are the ones who never acknowledge your presence when
you are standing in front of them, or still chat away on the phone The
solution? Get them away from your customers.
Not Willing To Seek a Solution
These people are the ones who may acknowledge a
customer's problem but just can't be bothered to find a solution; it's too
much hassle. The stock answer is,"I can't help. It's company policy." Their favourite words are "I can't", "Yes, but", "won't", "shouldn't". They can
find nothing positive to help the customer. If this happens, your customers
walk away thinking you are a 'can't do' instead of a 'can do' business.
Not Giving Full Product Explanations
Your product may be the best in the world, but if it
doesn't do what the customer wants then you have one unhappy purchaser. Lack
of understanding of how the product or service meets the customer's
requirements could be down to your sales staff being too anxious for a sale
persuading the buyer that the product is just right when it clearly
doesn't fit what the client needs. This is partly down to sales training but
also attitude. Do you want staff who are happy to sell to your customers on
this basis?
Not Willing To Admit a Mistake
Isn't it refreshing to hear someone say, "Do you know,
you're right. We really messed this up." If you get this as an opening line
when making a complaint, you immediately know youre in business. However,
sometimes getting a business to admit it has made a mistake is like pulling
teeth. If you're in the wrong, get your staff to own up and say, "Yes, we
were wrong", it can take away the emotion which sometimes blocks successful
resolution of complaints.
Not Keeping You Up To Date
In any effective complaint handling process, everything
can be done according to the book, but it can all be thrown away if the
client is not kept up to date. A complaint, followed by days of silence,
allows doubt and anger to bubble up again. It may be that the person
handling the complaint had a bad time when taking the initial query; he's
not motivated to pick up the phone and engage in another torrent of abuse!
However, not speaking to the client can only make matters worse, and so
guaranteeing that the next call will be even more interesting! Get 'strong'
characters to front your complaints, people who are not intimidated and are
happy to solve problems.
Broken Promises
This is probably the most frequent reason for human cause
of complaint; "Yes, I'll do that for you. Leave it to me." What happens?
Nothing! The impression given is that your staff just don't care, or that
the customer is not important. Impress upon your staff the importance of
following through on their promises. Any broken promise will compound a
complaint.
So, in what areas are your
staff letting you down? Are you doing everything to ensure your staff are
treating everyone as loyal customers? Listen to what your staff are saying,
and listen to what your customers are telling you. Get the human side of
your complaint process right and you have more chance of keeping your
customers for life.
© Robert Warlow
Small Business Success
www.smallbusinesssuccess.biz
Small Business
Success is a resource dedicated to helping small business owners be more
successful. If you are looking for a regular flow of ideas and tips then
subscribe to Small Business Success a
free newsletter, which
provides you with quick tips, ideas and articles.
For more
information visit
http://www.smallbusinesssuccess.biz
|
