One of the primary indicators of a successful organization is that of the manner in which it deals with customer complaints. It is indeed a challenge to exemplify this skill as the stakes are high whereby the staff’s failure of addressing customer concerns can blemish the company’s reputation and strain relations between the customer and the company. As such, it is paramount for organizations to adhere to conventions of proper customer service etiquette in tackling complaints effectively either over the phone, email or in person, and providing a competitive edge in their respective industries.
Firstly, in a bid for employees to exhibit these practices, there needs to be a clear written procedure on tackling customer complaints through all modes- in-person, electronic mail and telephone, that needs to be communicated to the staff to acquaint them with standards expected of them when delivering customer service. Such procedures should be initially practiced on the staff before rolling them out as policies, so as to equip them with a repertoire of skills in handling customer complaints and evaluate their performance in handling adverse situations and their ability to use their discretion if the issue is complex. If the procedure proves to be effective, it can be laid down as a company policy, otherwise revised accordingly. There should also be records of all agreements and undertakings with customers so that staff can refer back to them when addressing a particular complaint and it reduces the customers’ hassle of having repeat their history of transaction with the company at length.
In the event of any complaint brought forth, the staff should apologise for the lapse and acknowledge the problem. However this does not amount to an admission of guilt on the employee’s part. Instead, it conveys to the customer that the staff understands the customer’s plight which suggests his sensitivity towards the customer’s needs. Furthermore, apologising and letting the customer speak aids in calming him down as it assures him that his complaints are being listened to attentively. Additionally, when speaking to customers, the staff should paraphrase and summarise information to the customer at intervals throughout the conversation. This ensures an accurate flow of information between the customer and staff and reduces the possibility of any miscommunication taking place.
Particularly, when conversing over the phone or in-person with customers, staff should possess voice clarity and articulation to ensure proper communication from his side and that the customer is able to well-capture the essentials of the conversation. When customers encounter staff that do not have a firm command over the English language, they tend to lose their temper and disconnect the line without giving the staff a chance to speak. Such a lapse also places the company in poor light as it adversely suggests its incompetency in providing high quality training to their staff in customer service. Although it must be conceded that of late, organizations have been recruiting migrant labour and as such, this problem may be dominant due to workers speaking in varying accents, it is nevertheless crucial to ensure that via training programs, employees have a reasonably good command of the English Language so that they could communicate and interact with customers effectively.
Staff should also be clear on the type of issues different departments cater to so that any complaints can be forwarded to the relevant unit and prompt action can be taken towards rectifying the issue. Additionally, in events of product defect, customers should be given a time-frame as to when the defect would be rectified and that the staff would revert to them. In other cases, staff should assure customers that their complaints would be looked into and they would ensure such a lapse does not take place again. This instils confidence and certainty in customers towards the company regarding their concerns/feedback being looked into and exemplifies the company’s efficiency and dedication towards providing excellent customer service. Moreover, organizations should focus on addressing the root causes of complaints surfaced as opposed to showering the customer with vouchers in a bid to compensate for the lapse. Although many companies adopt the latter practice, it does not eradicate the underlying cause of the concern and therefore the chances of a similar or even worse lapse may arise that may exacerbate the situation. Therefore to avoid the situation of incurring additional costs, organizations should be devoted towards unraveling the causes of any such issues promptly.
Lastly, in order for organizations to evaluate their effectiveness in resolving their clients’ complaints/feedback, it is optimal to ask the customer via an online survey or over the phone on his/her evaluation of the staff’s performance in rendering his service to her and whether he/she has succeeded in answering her concerns well. This procedure is an optimal measure of the employee’s performance in customer service as it aids in providing timely feedback to the employee which paves way for him/her to take any corrective action if necessary. As such, the standard towards the provision of excellent customer service is never compromised and the company can foster strong relationships with its customers and scale to greater heights.
