Let your team know complaints are good, and the outcome is to save the client. Personal contact with your clients is what they want, need and deserve. Clients want to feel they are special and needed.
The way to do that is, like the Embassy Suites, to take the HEAT.
H Hear the client out. Hear what they to say. Let them air their grievances.
E Empathize with the client. Let the client understand that you let them know how they feel. Know what the problem is; even agree there is a problem and you will work with the client to fix it.
A Act. Allow your staff to act and to make a decision about solving the issue.
T Take responsibility for your actions. Follow through with the solution you have offered and work hard to ensure there is a win-win solution with the client.
Statistics tell us 95% of unhappy people do not speak up. Use the 5% of unhappy people that speak up to get the information needed to make great changes in your organization.
Complaint Resolution and the outcomes you want for your organisation:
• First outcome is to get the client back. Find out what went wrong.
• Neutralize negative publicity.
• Treat complainers as valued researchers.
• Face the music quickly and without reservation.
• Admit mistakes – it is never too late to admit mistakes. Bosses and clients alike will respect your honesty.
MARKETING QUOTES Business has only two functions – marketing and innovation. – Milan Kundera If you want success, then don’t rely on other people to do what YOU can do! – Sasha Azevedo No great marketing decisions have ever been made on quantitative data. – John Scully There is more similarity in the marketing challenge of selling a precious painting by Degas and a frosted mug of root beer than you ever thought possible. – A. Alfred Taubman Complaint handling game plan:
• Preparation and attitude are vital – complaints are good.
• Listen actively.
• Begin creating rapport.
• Empathize and understand.
• Build Bridges.
• Ask your team to help create your plan – you are in this together with your client.
• Secure agreement with your client and confirm the agreed plan. Follow through and gift wrap the package, be persistent, professional and personal in seeking resolution.
When a client does not want to pay an account – he means “I want your attention”.
• Know your customer. Talk to him. Find out what he wants.
• Personal Contact is the answer – this is the only way you will get the truth.
• MBWA – Management by Walking Around.
• Be careful of middlemen – they can isolate your customers.
Some solutions to implement and to help you with your client research:
• Ask a friend or colleague to write to the company and file a complaint.
• Begin a mystery complainer program and publicize results.
• Flow chart of complaints and how they are handled – look for bottlenecks in the process.
• Estimate the cost of replacing lost customers.
• Find out what happens to suggestions that customers are making.
• Focus with laser precision on first moments of complainers contact with your company.
• Shorten time required to resolve complaints.
• Calculate long term value of client relationships.
• List net present value of long term relationships as benchmark to determine whether it is worth while to do everything to save the client.
• Be flexible and personal with resolution procedures.
• Seek to increase customers net present value by increasing annual revenues.
• Throughout the complaint resolution process be persistent, professional and personal.
• Note details of your own encounters with organizations when you complain and how they handled it.
• Start a column showing how your employees are treated well with other companies when they complain.
• Prepare and distribute a complaint handling game plan to guide colleagues and employees towards favourable outcomes with clients.
• Distribute forbidden phrases that alienate customers, like: “I’ll have to get back to you”, “I disagree”, “I can’t”.
