Four ways to tackle customer complaints

New research suggests that 76% of the public thinks that businesses don't take their complaints seriously and that the old mantra of 'the customer is always right' is a thing of the past. The survey, by call answering service alldayPA, also revealed that nearly half of customers (47%) who had complained to a business were told that problems were their own fault. And, worryingly, 31% of respondents had also experienced businesses point blank refusing to apologise, take responsibility or do anything to help. Sue Ratcliffe from alldayPA, says: "We understand that companies don’t want to accept blame for something that isn't their fault, but it's important to strike the right balance so that customers feel that you are listening and doing your best to help them. "The key to this is training staff on how to deal with complaints, especially when customers are angry and needing to let off steam. With many companies using websites and automated call menus to deal with customer interactions, it seems the art of listening to complaints may be under threat." Sue has the following advice for companies looking to improve how they handle complaints: Acknowledge - Regardless of who is at fault - the company or its customer - an acknowledgement of a bad experience should always be made. Apologise – Apologising doesn't mean admitting that you're at fault, but rather you're acknowledging that your customer is unhappy. Listen – Listen to what the customer has to say, with as few interruptions as possible. Ask them to clarify anything you don't understand, explaining to them that you're just trying to ensure you have all the facts and that you’re not trying to prevent them from making their point. Focus on the positive – Think about what you can do, rather than what you can't. Telling someone "that's not my job" will only frustrate and upset a customer further.