How to Implement a Customer Service Plan at Your Company
Whether you are the CEO of AT&T or the owner of Mike's House of Mugs, you need to teach your employees how to respond to customer complaints. Here are a few simple steps.
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Instructions
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Hold regular meetings to talk about what to do when a customer complains. Have two people role play and experience how it feels to be a customer who feels wronged and an employee trying to help. Building good customer skills is a must for every business. Revisit the topic often in staff meetings.
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There are five normal types of complaints: Staff attitude, Issues with Service, Issues with Policy, Negligence and problems caused by Third Parties. Discuss each one with your staff and implement standard solutions for each one.
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Help them to understand which words can irate a buyer and which ones sooth. "I apologize for your inconvenience" acknowledges the problem without accepting blame. If there was an error acknowledge it and apologize. Keep your tone of voice positive. Do not blame a person or a department. People complaining don't care how or why something went wrong. What they care about getting their problem fixed.
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Set an amount that you will allow your staff to spend to fix a problem. Refunds and replacements are a normal part of business expenses and should be included in a budget. Don't make your staff come to you with every problem. Encourage them to seek solutions that please the customer and are good for the customer.
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Above all, thank the customer for bringing the problem to light. You can't fix problems if you don't know about them. If people don't complain to you they will complain to their friends and hurt your business without you even knowing what happened. Listening to customer complaints is your most valuable tool.
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Create a method to report problems to you. You need to keep track of any financial losses and you need to thank employees who have resolved problems. Have your employees share creative customer service solutions at staff meetings.
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Tips & Warnings
Don't find fault. Find remedy. Henry Ford
