Handling Customer Complaints

Here are some valuable tips for dealing with customer complaints:
* Listen to each complaint. Never mind how foolish it may sound, most people will not complain unless they feel they have a legitimate grievance. Often they are upset about something other than what they are complaining about. Try to find out.
* Try to take the customer’s point of view. If you were in the customer’s place, how would you feel?
* If investigation is necessary, do it while the customer is present.
* If investigation shows the customer is right, admit it at once. Apologize and offer to make amends then and there. An open and honest response brings you from conflict to common ground.
* Should the complaint turn out to be baseless, try to let the customer save face. Offer that the feedback has helped you to evaluate and improve your service.
Source: SCORE "Counselors to America's Small Business"