In the world of technology, social media has become a powerful tool for people to share their good and bad experiences. We all know that when a client is unhappy, the first thing they will do is to share their complaints with the company. If at that point there is no resolution between the company and the customer, it can trigger the customer to badmouth your company or worst, post negative reviews online that would be damaging to the company’s reputation.


The impact of a bad review can often shake the confidence of existing and future customers and cause you to lose money. 


And so the saying goes: It only takes one unhappy client to ruin your reputation.  


How can you protect your business? Is it possible to prevent a client from complaining? In this article, we will be sharing Top 3 tips on how to successfully handle a client’s complaint. These tips will help you to: 

  • Deal with an angry client who is on the verge of escalating the complaint to public sites,
  • Successfully appease the client and, 
  • Ensure that they are happy with your service again.

 

TIP #1: ACKNOWLEDGE THE CLIENT’S COMPLAINT


Most people’s first question when they receive a client’s complaint is, “Who was the last person who spoke to the client?” – as though it’s that person that caused the complaint. Even though it is necessary to conduct proper internal investigation, the first thing you should be doing is to show that you are on the client’s side.

 

This can be done by simply acknowledging the client’s complaint. 


If the client sent an email, reply and let him/her know that the email has been received and you are currently looking into it. If possible, go a step further by asking the client when would be a good time for you to speak to them as part of investigation and recovery. It can be scary to call an angry client – what if they yell at you? However, this one action is crucial to reassure the client that you are taking their complaint seriously.


When you call, introduce yourself and let the client know that you are coming from a neutral stand to understand what happened and how you can work with them to find a solution together. The key is to make the client feel that you care, that they are not just another customer, you are in this together to find a solution because you treasure the working relationship you both share.


This simple step of acknowledging the client quickly can help to appease the client and give you more time to work out and find out what went wrong. 


TIP #2: DO A TIMELY FOLLOW-UP & OFFER A SOLUTION  


Next, work on a solution that will satisfy the client. Complaints can come under different categories. Is your client complaining about the lack of service they receive, are they feeling neglected or are they unhappy with their matches? 


Depending on the nature of the complaint, try to offer the client a win-win solution that will not cause your business monetary loss.

For example, are you able to extend his/her membership, give them more matches or perhaps offer them a complimentary service such as additional coaching to help them achieve their dating goals? 


Once you have gotten to the root of the problem and had a solution at hand, do a follow-up with the client. An ideal timeframe should be within 3-working-days to 1 week and no longer than 2 weeks. Otherwise the client will assume that you have forgotten about him/her and may be even angrier than before. 


TIP #3: HOW TO STOP YOUR CLIENT FROM POSTING ONLINE FOR “JUSTICE” 


Sometimes even after acknowledging a client’s complaint email/call and providing a solution, things can still go awry. A client who is still dissatisfied may threaten to post negative reviews online or speak to the media about their unhappiness. 


When this happens, we need to get behind the motive and mindset of the client. 


A client who decides to post or is threatening to post his/her dissatisfaction about your company online is seeking affirmation that their complaint is reasonable. Usually it is because their claims are weak and they know that if they continue speaking with you, they will not receive the outcome that they want i.e. a refund, free dates, a discount, better membership privileges etc. In a bid to get more support or validation that they are a victim in this situation, they try to shame your company online. They believe that they are seeking justice for themselves. 


In this scenario, immediately suggest a face-to-face meeting. Most people are unlikely to cause a scene face-to-face because they are more self-conscious in the company of another person, especially on unfamiliar ground. Being able to see their facial expressions and body language can also help you to read the situation better and keep things under control.

 

GET LIVE TIPS!


To get LIVE tips on how to manage complaints, come join us at the London Global Love Conference from Sept 24 – 25, 2019 – We will be having a panel of guests who will address the topic of “How to Coach Unhappy Clients and Get Them Out of The Refund Mindset”. Follow this link to find out more: https://matchmakinginstitute.com/london-2019/

 

Written by Adrina Ong