Keep in touch!

When a customer lodges a complaint about a product or service that they received from your company, you should be happy.

Why? Because they are doing you a favor by taking the time to contact you about their experience, providing you with a second chance to make things right and keep them as a customer! Consider yourself lucky, because data shows that a majority of dissatisfied customers never say a word about their issue to the proprietor; they simply take their business elsewhere. Even worse, they will speak about the experience to their friends!

How to respond to a complaint

“If a customer lodges a complaint about an employee, the first thing to do is take a moment to analyze the situation and then come up with a solution. Next, confer with your team. Without mentioning the name of the employee who is the subject of the complaint, present the problem to your team and ask for their input,” says Chantal Lamarre, Director General of Carrus.

It’s important to not act in a reproachful manner.

“If you levy accusations, you will get no collaboration from your team – and ideally, the solution should come from your employees. The more involved they are with the customer service process, the higher the quality of service they will deliver to your clients.”

Do you have a customer loyalty program?

Since it is more difficult to land new clients than it is to retain the ones you already have, providing a customer loyalty program that delivers value to your clients can be very beneficial for your business.

Get creative! “For example, you could launch a customer loyalty card to provide product or service discounts, or offer personalized service options based on the needs of particular clients. You can offer rebates based on the yearly annual spend of a customer, the frequency of their visits, or the parts that they buy,” concludes Lamarre.