Customer complaints! We've all been there - we're in a restaurant or store and we have a complaint about something. What do you do about it? A good many people just suck it up and leave. Others say something. Which customer do you prefer? Does your business make customers jump through several hoops to voice a complaint. Do they have to fill out a long form? Do you make them call a 1-800 number or go to a special webpage?
Recent research found something interesting about how people complain and their impact on doing business with you. It found that people who said nothing were typically not self-confident. If it was a restaurant situation, they felt uncomfortable about making the friends at their table uncomfortable as well. They sucked it up and left. The down side was the majority of this group never come back.
On the other hand, folks who had no problem voicing their dissatisfaction continued to do business with the guilty party. They saw the act of complaining as therapeutic.
These results prove that you should go out of your way to make it as easy as possible to accommodate customer complaints. How you handle the situation makes them into your best customers, and this builds a strong brand in their eyes.
16 comments:
This is so true. I think that making complaints is valuable to business. The one accountable for the success or failure of teh business is probably interested to hear what you have to say. I usually only make complaints in businesses that I like and value for their products or services.
I'm the same, if I'm unhappy I'll say something. I try to be as polite as I can.
I think that if i have no intention of returning, I don't bother. I'll have to think about that.
Thanks for commenting, Brandi.
I recently dealt with three "bad service" situations in one day. The first was a 2 hour wait at the doctor even though I had an appointment. I don't get it! If this was any other business in the world I would simply walk out but it was for my knee so it hurt to walk out. I complained and all I was told was oh sorry, it's been busy. Number 2 was at the Department of Motor Vehicles where they suggested to my sister to fly 2500 miles just to obtain a piece of paper they screwed up on. The last was receiving bad service at Swiss Chalet (a first btw). The third one I didn't complain but should have -- simply because on the first two probs of the day I sort of expected bad service but the third, I did not.
I'm surprised about Swiss Chalet too John. My wife and I really like it there. Let's hope they were just having a bad day as well.
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