“The goal as a company is to have
customer service that is not just the best but legendary.”
~ Sam Walton, Founder of
Wal-Mart
No matter how big or small your
enterprise is, customer complaints are something you can’t avoid completely. From
minor to the serious, these are pinpricks you must work towards reducing to the
barest minimum.
Recently, Tim Cook, CEO of Apple
Inc., had to apologize for warranty issues in China. The apology came in
response to the complaints of Chinese customers that U.S. customers receive
full replacement for faulty phones while the Chinese customers only get their
faulty sets repaired with replacement parts.
According to Apple Insider “Apple on Monday published an open letter from Chief
Executive Tim Cook in which he formally apologized for what were described as
"misunderstandings" over the company's warranty policies, and
revealed new changes that aim to better serve iPhone customers.”
Now check out the changes that Apple
Inc. made to its existing polices to retain their customers in China.
·
Modified
repair policies for the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S
·
Published
a "concise and clear" statement on its website pertaining to repair
and warranty policies
·
Improved
supervision and training of Apple Authorized Service providers
·
Now,
there is a new feedback service to help customers conveniently contact the company
regarding issues or complaints
It gives a clear idea about how bad
servicing or customers’ dissatisfaction can lead to dire consequences even for
established and strong players like Apple. It is very important for a business
to handle dissatisfied customers effectively.
Here are some vital tips to deal
with customer complaints effectively:
·
Listen
to the customer’s complaint carefully. Don't give lame excuses. It will only
frustrate him more.
·
Enquire
about the problem in a concerned and caring manner. Ask for more details. Don’t
jump to conclusions.
·
Think
from customer’s point of view. As a business owner, you should pacify your
customer if you want to retain him. Make him feel that you are on his side and
provide some instant solution.
·
Don’t
hesitate to apologize. It could be anybody’s mistake but being the leader and
face of the company, it’s your responsibility to apologize. You can take some
lessons from Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook. It makes big impact when the apology comes
from the top of the hierarchy.
·
Consider
customer’s suggestion in providing an acceptable solution. Choose the idea that
closely matches the one suggested by customer. It will calm down the customer
and will send across a positive message to other customers.
·
The
most important aspect of handling customer’s complaint is providing a prompt
solution that is accepted to the customer. As in Apple’s case, company
immediately rectified their repair policies defying which they may lose around
50% percent of their customers in China.
For more insights into this area,
you can join a CEO peer group or a CEO association where you will get important
guidance and advice regarding every aspect of the business ranging from
starting a business, to dealing with issues of customer complaints and even
exit planning.
Remember, in business, making
mistakes can be dangerous but when you do not rectify mistakes it can be fatal.
