The manner in which small businesses treat their existing and potential customers can determine whether they thrive or perish. This has always been so. However, it is more vital than ever that business managers realise this in today’s crowded digital marketplace.
Twenty years ago, if a customer had a grievance with your business, the only forms of recourse open to them would have been to visit your premises (if a local business), or to call a customer service helpline.
Not so today! In the modern age of digital communication we have many more channels through which we can choose to scream and shout, discredit those who sell to us, or simply to express mild dissatisfaction with the way in which we have been treated. Not only this, but most of these channels exist as public forums where anybody can read about all the ways in which a business has fallen short of excellent customer service.
Now, many business owners and managers may view this as a terrible disadvantage, since we all know that complaints can seriously damage a company’s reputation. However, if we flip this concept on its head, we soon see that publicly-expressed complaints can represent opportunities rather than threats, especially when it comes to brand marketing. Indeed, complaints can increase customer respect and trust for your business when they’re handled well. They also give you a heads up about problems you may be unaware of, so that you can resolve them and improve your service to prevent further complaints.
In the same way that customers queueing in your shop will judge your business by how you respond to the angry complainant at the front of the queue, many more people will be watching and judging your business’s conduct online when deciding whether to deal with you or your competitor.
Communicating positively with customers and knowing how to respond to complaints successfully online, as well as offline, is as important as delivering a first-class service or product. If you do this effectively, then existing and would-be customers will have faith that, if they should ever encounter a problem, your business can be trusted to put it right, promptly and fairly. Furthermore, your efforts should inspire customer confidence and increase brand loyalty.
There are many opportunities to demonstrate your excellent customer service skills online. With countless social media platforms and review sites, such as Google, Facebook and TrustPilot, conversations between businesses and their customers have never been more public and open.
Most people who shop online today read customer reviews before they decide to purchase something from a particular company. And even if you’re running the best business in the world, you will still get your share of bad reviews. There will always be somebody who isn’t happy with the service or product they have received - whether that is your fault or not! But, even if you know and can prove that the fault does not lie with you, your public response should still be polite and very carefully crafted. Striking just the right conciliatory tone, particularly with unreasonable or difficult customers, is essential. It is a skill that needs to be honed.
Whoever is responsible for responding to comments and reviews online (and you definitely should have a suitable person whose role it is to do just that) needs to be fully trained and briefed about how to respond to complaints and bad reviews skilfully. This person should also be aware of the different types of complainers, since they may need to adopt slightly different strategies for each of them.
Let’s take a look at a couple of real-life responses to comments made by disappointed diners on TrustPilot.
Example 1:
Example 2:
Which response would you have preferred?
Just in case you are still unsure, here are a few Dos and Don’ts to consider before responding to any customer complaints or bad reviews online.
DO:
Create a Complaints Procedure & Policy before you launch your business;
Include a variety of methods for customers to register complaints - e.g. customer helpline; a website chat box, email, website contact form, and social media channels;
Respond as quickly as possible;
Thank your customer for contacting you, and let them know their custom is appreciated;
Put your emotions to one side, and remain calm and objective;
Listen and acknowledge what the complainant says;
Give a sincere apology for having inconvenienced them, and acknowledge any mistakes on your end;
Offer a genuine solution;
Be prepared to be flexible if your first attempt to resolve the complaint isn’t working;
Follow up with an offer of further support or compensation if appropriate;
Exceed expectations and double check that the customer is satisfied that their complaint has been dealt with properly.
DON’T:
Challenge or argue with the complaint;
Resort to sarcasm, insults or anger;
Tell the complainant they are wrong;
Dismiss the complaint as a trivial matter;
Use complaint response templates or stock responses - address the customer personally;
Make promises that you can’t keep;
Fob off complainants with pathetic excuses;
Engage in convoluted public conversations - take it offline if it’s complicated;
Forget to follow up if necessary.
Starting up any new business can be stressful, and there is always a steep learning curve during the first couple of years. Inevitably, teething problems will occur and mistakes will be made. Although you may be able to anticipate some of these with thorough advance planning, there will always be pitfalls that you could not foresee - some of which may give cause for complaint from dissatisfied customers. But don’t be discouraged. For, when customers complain, they are teaching you how to improve your service.
To survive the bumpy start-up ride, you need to retain your hard-won customers and keep them onside. So, be sure to implement our advice about dealing with customer complaints, and you should be well on track for building a strong, happy and loyal customer base.