We all hate customer complaints, but they have to be handled. They just don’t go away, and they will always be there because no one is perfect and you just can’t please everyone every time.
Why Do Customers Complain?
It’s important to understand why customers complain. Customers complain when they feel frustrated about something that happened with the service they received. It’s a result of an action not meeting their expectations. For plumbing and HVAC companies, this can be a multitude of things including not showing up on time, charging more than the customer expected, not having the right parts to repair the problem the same day or not fixing the problem the first time.
Fortunately, all of these problems can be avoided or fixed in a timely manner. As I mentioned you just couldn’t please everyone, there will always be that one crazy customer that is just off the charts crazy. No matter what you do, you just can’t please them. They are the exception to the rule and have a hidden agenda that you can never help them with. On a positive note, a majority of customers that complain want their problems resolved.
Where Do Customers Complain.
There are two places customers complain it’s either over the telephone or via a negative review on websites like Google, Yelp, and AngiesList. I want to focus on how to handle customer complaints but first, let me talk about how to avoid them getting out of hand.
If a customer calls you to complain over the phone, it’s important to understand they just want the problem resolved. They are unhappy, but they are giving you a chance to fix the problem. Fix it and fix it fast. Take their call, don’t get defensive even if you feel they are wrong. Never fight fire with fire. It’s a recipe for trouble. Your policy should be to handle every complaint with a “YES” attitude. You should not let this complaint escalate to a public place like a negative online review.
Keep in mind when customers complain, they just want their problems resolved. They are not trying to hurt you unless you fail to fix their problems.
When a customer calls with a complaint and asks for the manager, let them speak to the manager. The worst thing is for you to screen them out or try and avoid sending them to the manager. If the service manager does not want to take customer complaints then maybe you need a new service manager. Another thing you must do is to make sure the Service Manager has the power to fix the customers problem at all costs. If the Service Manager does not have this authority, then the problem escalates to you the owner. Understand I’m not saying you the owner will never have to handle customer complaints, but if you are handling all of them, then you have a process problem in your company.
Fix the problem when the customer calls you that’s the only result of call in complaints.
What To Do When A Customer Leaves A Negative Review Online.
This is the second place a customer will leave a complaint. Sometimes it’s the first place, but for the most part, when a customer takes a complaint public it’s the final straw. It’s very likely you have not resolved their problem, and now they are mad and make no mistake about it they are trying to hurt you.
Good news you can still fix this issue, and it can be a great opportunity for new business. How you handle negative online reviews can make or break your business. If you have more negative reviews than positive reviews, then you are in trouble. This is a sure-fire way to know that your business is not very good. In fact, you need to make some changes very fast because things are only going to get worse.
How To Respond To Negative Online Reviews And Turn A Negative Into An Opportunity.
I always thought it was common sense not to take your dirty laundry public until I read a few negative reviews and the response from the business. First, let’s remember what a negative online review is. It’s a cry out for help. It’s usually from a customer who has tried to get a problem resolved several times over the phone, but nothing has been done to help them. It’s usually the customers last shot at expressing their anger. You must remember that this complaint is now public for every potential customer to see.
The worst thing you can do is attack. About a year ago I was looking to hire an electrician to do some work in my home. I went on AngiesList and searched my area. The first listing that came up was a pretty well know company in my city they had over 500 positive reviews and only one negative review. Normally that’s not a problem only one negative review and 500 five star reviews. The problem was the way the owner responded to the negative review. He was very aggressive, referred to the customer as a nut and even mentioned that they were not longer allowed to use his company for any future service. After I had pushed my jaw back into place, I said to myself, “yeah as if they would ever want to use you again.” Neither did I; I moved onto to the next listing that didn’t have as many reviews.
The only thing that went through my mind is that yes he probably does good service but if he makes a mistake is he going to be there to fix the problem. His response makes you feel like he does not stand behind his service and if I have a problem with him is he going to treat me like that?
This company took a negative situation and made it worse. This one review can cost them thousands of dollars in lost revenue because of the way he responded.
What he should have done and this is where the magic happens. This is where you can turn a negative into a positive opportunity. He should have responded with a “YES” attitude and did everything he could to resolve the customer’s problem by taking it offline. Here is an example of how they should have responded:
Hello (Customer Name) I very deeply saddened by the problem you are having with our company and want to resolve this for you right away. My name is (Name Here) I’m the Director of Customer Experience I’m going to contact you immediately via telephone, so we can get this problem resolved immediately.
Contact the customer and get this problem resolved ASAP! Whatever it takes! Please understand that once a customer publishes a negative review they cannot remove it, they can only update it. After you resolve the problem, you can have the customer update the review saying you took care of the problem.
Every potential customer who reads this now knows that you stand behind your business and are willing to fix a customer’s problem. The opportunity is that customers know no company is perfect and just want to know that if a problem does happen, you will be there to help them.
Every business will have customer complaints it’s how you handle them that defines the success of your business.
