Effective communication skills when dealing with customer complaints

1. Understand the complaint. Before responding to an angry customer, show that you understand that customer’s problem. If the customer has explained his complaints, he just needs to repeat the problem and find a solution. If the client makes a written complaint, please quote the client’s words to show that you have carefully read their letter of complaint. Record all relevant data with the customer in question such as date of purchase, account number, prior contact with customer service, etc. If you still don’t understand the problem, read tip 2.

2. Ask for clarification. An angry customer may not be able to write their complaint clearly. You can ask the customer to clarify the problem: did the customer receive a broken product, or did the customer receive the wrong product? You can also ask how the customer wants the problem resolved. Does the customer want the product replaced or does he want his money back? If you are unable to clarify the problem and offer the appropriate solution, it can make the customer more angry.

3. Personalize the response to the customer. An angry customer will not be able to calm down if he feels that no one is there to listen to his complaint. Respond with the following: “Dear customer, thank you for your letter. We will solve your problem and be happy to hear from you.” Send them a personal letter to convince them that your report has been clearly recorded. Always use the client’s name and don’t forget their gender and titles. Repeat your company information and integrate it with your message. “We are proud that you have selected us as your supplier for six years and we want to continue to serve you as our valued customer.” Personalize your message with your name. The client needs to know that there is a human being trying to solve their problem.

4. Say that you will solve the problem as soon as possible. An angry customer only needs concrete actions. Therefore, you need to specify how you are going to solve that angry customer’s problem. If the solution is complex, break it down into steps that are understandable. If possible, indicate when the problem will be resolved. “We will send you your new order tonight and it will be delivered to you at 10 am.” Or “We will check your order shipment right now to find out what went wrong.”

5. If you are sending a good message, say so first. If you can make a customer happy, get the good message across first and then show empathy. Nice message: “We will gladly refund your money as requested.” Empathy: “We fully understand your frustration that you received your Christmas gift after Christmas.” However, if you can’t make the customer happy because you have to say “no,” show empathy first and then deliver the “bad news.” Empathy: “We understand your frustration that you received the Christmas present after Christmas.” Bad news: “We can’t refund your money because your order has passed the last date of our product warranty.”

6. Use a positive and courteous tone. You may be tempted to respond to customer complaints with a similar harsh tone: “You dropped your camera and it is not covered by our product warranty.” Try not to make the problem worse by using the wrong tone because you will be inundated with more angry responses. Use kind and positive words: “Your camera appears to be broken because you dropped it and we regret to reply that we cannot replace it because our warranty only covers losses due to manufacturing errors.”

7. Avoid blaming the customer. Try replacing all the words “you” with “I” or “we”. Do not say or write: “We cannot process your order because you did not mention your address on the purchase order form.” Say or write: “We cannot process your order because we do not have your address.”

8. Acknowledge the customer’s frustrations. Maybe the customer problem is not caused by your company, or maybe you can’t solve the problem. But you can imagine your customer’s frustration. Empathize with your customer: “We know that whatever caused our server to malfunction has already caused problems in your office.”

9. Apologize when you made a mistake. When your company made a mistake, apologize. Make your apology specific. Avoid saying, “We’re sorry you’re confused about your credit application.” Instead, say: “We apologize for putting an incorrect date on your application. We will amend this error immediately.”

10. Satisfy your customer by offering him something valuable. If your company policy allows you to offer discounts, products, or gifts to angry customers, you can say, “We will give you a 50 percent discount if you buy a new camera.” Customer complaints in written form are more difficult to handle. You will not have the opportunity to hear or see the customer. Still, it is very important that you handle the complaint in a professional manner.