Complaints are a goldmine of information
Complaints offer businesses an opportunity to correct immediate problems. In addition, they frequently provide constructive ideas for improving products, adapting marketing practices, upgrading services, or modifying promotional material and product information.
While occasional problems with service of merchandise are, to some extent, inevitable, dissatisfied customers are not. Companies can learn to recover from mistakes. A good recovery can turn angry, frustrated customers into loyal ones.
Recognizing the importance of responding fairly and efficiently to buyer disappointment in the marketplace, many businesses have established effective and innovative systems for resolving consumer complaints. Within any industry, those companies with a positive philosophy and a reputation for fair complaint-management have a competitive edge.
A management philosophy that embraces customer satisfaction as a primary goal of business, instead of defending the company in the face of complaints, can change the rules of the game for companies. It shifts the emphasis from the cost of pleasing a customer to the value of doing so, and trusts front-line employees to use their judgment.
British Airways' customer-relations department can claim to be a true champion of the customer. The retention rate among those who complain to customer relations has more than doubled, while its return on investment (the value of business saved plus increased loyalty and new business from referrals relative to the department's total costs) has risen 200%. British Airways employees are never happy to have service failures but are eager to hear about them when they occur because they know that ignorance is anything but bliss.
Table of Contents
Handling Complaints : A Critical Form of Communications
Why is Complaint Handling Important?
Management's Role
Cost and Savings
Complaint Handling Staff
Publicizing the Complaint Management System
Co-ordination with Others in the Distribution Chain
Third-party Dispute Resolution
Basic Steps for Effective Complaint Management
Conclusion
Complaint Management Checklist
Entire Guide
Handling Customer Complaints - Complaints: A Critical Form of Communication
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