What are your 3 industry complaints and how to use them to your advantage

I heard this a while ago and it really resonated with me.  What are your 3 industry complaints?  When you know what they are, do these well and you will have a great business.  What???  It can't be that easy, right?

I believe it is, think about a trades industry, their 3 biggest complaints are

1. Don't turn up at all

2. Don't turn up on time

3. Never received the quote

I thought about this, and if I got these right, I should according to the research have a great opportunity to have a healthy profitable business if I manage my customer complaints well.

The overall goal of these guidelines and policies are meant to:

1. Turn a dissatisfied customer into a satisfied customer

2. Align your customer service team’s response and actions

3. Analyze areas of your business to improve experiences

According to Super Office  customer complaints are opportunities to collect information about a customer’s needs, opinions, attitudes, and beliefs. In most cases, upset customers are looking for help and clarity, not trouble, and are simply responding to common issues such as:

• Product or service quality

• Safety concerns

• Timing

• Color and sizing

• Overpricing

• Accidental / Variation charges

• Not sending in a quote or estimate

• Not turning up for the job

• Turning up late or hours later

• No communication on when they will come

• Broken promises

The key to overcoming these common issues is by creating a clear process and a coordinated response that addresses the customer’s complaints.  

Here are 5 ways to handle customer complaints

The next time you receive a customer complaint, follow these tips to turn it into a golden opportunity for your business.

1. Listen and understand

Always listen to your customers. They have complained for a reason and it is important to understand why they are complaining. Research has shown that customers care more about quality than a fast response. Take time to listen and understand what their problem is. To maintain quality from all support personnel, use a customer service knowledge base

2. Apologise

Don’t be afraid to apologise for a mistake. Many customers are simply looking for an apology and acknowledgement of their complaint, yet so many businesses are hesitant to admit when a mistake has been made.

Don’t underestimate the importance of an apology!

Research by The Nottingham School of Economics found that unhappy customers are more willing to forgive a company that offers an apology as opposed to being compensated.

In the findings from the study, 45% of customers withdrew their negative evaluation of a company in light of an apology, whereas only 23% of customers withdrew their negative evaluation in return for compensation.

The researchers concluded that when a customer hears the words “I’m sorry”, it triggers an immediate instinct to forgive.

But, don’t just stop at the apology, follow through with a promise to resolve the complaint.

3. Find a solution

When your customer has a legitimate complaint, you need to find the root cause and solve it.

Give your team the authority to handle the majority of customer complaints to avoid passing your customer onto a series of people and managers. If the issue has been or can be repeated, make the necessary changes so you do not receive another complaint.

Use these complaints to your advantage

Imagine turning up on time, how impressed will the customer be, we tried this in our business and our staff turn up on time or a little earlier, and they say to the customer, I need to apologise I am a little early for my appointment, I hope that does not inconvenience you.  Guess what the customer says?  What I cannot believe you have turned up....  there is 10 points straight up.  This customer already has a good impression and there is a good chance they will be happy with the price and trust in your business.

Then we send in the quote within 12 hours of being at their house.  You are now in the running of getting this approved.  If your competitors are slow to turn up, return the call and take weeks to send in the quote, you have a 80% chance of winning that job.

Just do your 3 complaints well and you should have a great business and knock your competitors out of the park.

Just try it.... Let me know how it goes.