Eliminating customer complaints is a major challenge for businesses, client service managers and representatives. Receiving feedback from your customers may suggest their interest in continuing to do business with you. However, studies indicate that 96% of unhappy customers don’t complain and leave to never return. Are you receiving more complaints than compliments? Or is your staff drowning in a never-ending stream of consumer complaints? Consider the tips below to reduce these occurrences.
1. Set clear expectations from the start
One of the easiest ways to reduce client complaints is to set clear expectations from the outset. To get a customer relationship off to a good start, you should communicate all aspects, such as product quality, return policies, any hidden terms and conditions, and so on. This is most applicable when marketing your products or services. Instead of assuming that your communication is clear, ask questions so that your customers can confirm that they understand your message. This is better than assuming everybody is on the same page.
2. Enhance your customer service experience
Client service departments play an important role in ensuring customer happiness, unlike before when quality or price were the primary deciding criteria. According to a UK study 68% of customers are more likely to recommend your business based on your service quality than price. One way to boost your customer service experience is to make yourself available through multiple channels since customers choose several means for reaching your customer care staff. You can also decrease your response time since delayed replies are among the most typical consumer complaints. You will also be able to lessen client complaints if you can address more enquiries in less time. Lastly, regularly interacting with your customers is an excellent approach to lessening customer service complaints.
3. Improve internal communications
It is advisable to communicate often and extensively within and across departments. Improving internal communications allows you to identify issues and develop solutions before your consumers do. It would be best if you take a keen interest in the business’s product development and service delivery. No matter what level you are in a company, it is critical to pay close attention to every single detail, no matter how small and contribute to creating improvements. Avoid limiting yourself to your field of expertise and act also as an unbiased third party in other departments.
4. Offer quality service
Marketing studies have revealed that organisations that provide top-notch goods receive more repeat business. Investing more money and time in developing your commodity can prevent consumer complaints. The more effective your business is in satisfying customers during their initial interaction with a product, the more probable they will become return customers. Return customers are likewise easy to sell compared to prospects who require more time and resources to market, albeit with little chance of success. For instance, construction businesses can use the best tools and materials, like the C16 timber, for their floor, roof joists and walls to guarantee client satisfaction, earn positive reviews, and grow their business.
5. Leverage the latest tech
It is difficult to provide great customer service without technology since manually handling some information like client contacts can be disorganised. Therefore, it is critical to adopt dependable, smart, and feature-rich customer automation systems to maintain high support standards. CRM, knowledge bases, help desk support, call-back solutions, and cloud-based contact centre software are examples of smart customer service technology. Using cutting-edge technology drives your team on the correct path and allows you to reduce query resolution time.
6. Train your staff on soft skills
Several types of research have shown how pleasant and compassionate customer care is key to offering a positive customer experience. Your brand’s reputation improves when your customer service team is professional and empathetic. A lack of soft skills can turn away your client. So providing your staff with various technical and soft skills training, including patience, empathy, emotional intelligence and openness to criticism, is crucial. Additionally, train them on the tone with which they interact with customers. Your staff must learn to accept internal and external criticism, especially from your clients. When they learn to look for the positives in every circumstance, they will be more tactful in handling even the worst comments.
7. Avoid making promises you can’t fulfil
Imagine launching a PR campaign promising to offer the perfect customer service delivery in the UK only to rank as a mid or possibly lowest. You will easily become the subject of ridicule, particularly in today’s social media-controlled climate. You lose customer trust when you fail to deliver on promises, further affecting customer loyalty. Managing client expectations is one of the simplest approaches to decrease their complaints. So make certain that your promises are achievable and executed on time. If you don’t, you’re just giving your consumers additional reasons to complain.
8. Offer self-service
A self-service module can enable your clients to independently fix simple and less difficult issues. They won’t have to wait until your personnel reach out to offer a fix.
Many complaint management helpdesk technologies are available today to transform clients’ conversations and interactions into assistance articles. Your business can achieve so much when you share these articles with your customers and staff. For instance, your new personnel may refer to these articles and learn how to address complicated inquiries before relying on expert agent escalation. Similarly, your clients may hunt for answers and address their problems immediately.
9. Get everybody involved in reducing complaints
Every member of the business has a role to play in reducing complaints. Customer service is one sector that is particularly sensitive to this. It is true that your customer service representatives are experts in complaint management practice and dealing with dissatisfied clients. However, enhancing customer happiness and decreasing customer complaints is the duty of everyone on your team.
If complaints are not addressed promptly, they might develop rapidly. For example, a client could refer to Twitter to complain if your team takes too long to respond to their messages. A client reports an issue, your staff takes too long to reply, the consumer complains on social media, and suddenly everyone is on board, resulting in a snowball effect.