Complaining is easy and anyone can do it. On Facebook, you’ll find people blaming the President for gas prices reaching an all-time high. At restaurants, you’ll hear customers berating waiters because the kitchen overcooked their steaks. Complaints are, and forever will be, always around us.
We’ve previously explained how one should be written, but what happens when someone complains about you or your business? Join Wordsmith as we take a closer look at the fine art of responding to a complaint with class.
Getting a sense of the situation
It’s distressing to receive a complaint, but before you lash out at your staff (or the customer for making the accusation), take a moment to understand why the complaint was made and try to empathise with the customer. “No matter whether the complaint is justified or not, you should answer in a responsible, professional way,” explains Maryann V. Piotrowski in her book Effective Business Writing: A Guide for Those Who Write on the Job.
Just like writing a complaint letter, it’s important to not keep your emotions in check. If you represent a brand or business, you have a reputation to uphold – you don’t want to be known as the business that blew a gasket when someone complained!
When responding to a complaint, consider these four points:
1. Acknowledge the complaint
You should always thank the customer for writing to you – even if your business did nothing wrong and the customer is delusional. If they took the time to write you, the least they deserve is a response.
If the complaint was indeed a mistake on your end, Piotrowski recommends that you admit that the customer was right. Conversely, if you just want to acknowledge the customer’s inconvenience, simply thank the customer for writing you and apologise for their poor experience.
2. The apology
A simple “I’m sorry” can do wonders.
I’m sorry that you’ve been experiencing a problem with our product…
I’m sorry that our product has been causing you frustration…
I’m sorry for the trouble you’ve been having…
These are just some of the ways you could phrase your apology. “People are usually reasonable, especially if you have been sincere and honest,” explains Piotrowski. “Well-rounded responses can win back your reader’s loyalty and restore the goodwill felt towards you and your company.”
3. Explain
Once you’ve acknowledged the customer’s complaint and apologised, take time to explain what happened. According to Piotrowski, “A person rarely tires of reading a response to his or her complaint. And by taking the time to explain thoroughly what happened, you come across as being concerned and conscientious.”
However, what many do next is cite company policy to explain why something did or did not happen – which contradicts the sense of concern and conscientiousness you want to evoke. Piotrowski feels you should only bring up company policy if you can explain why the policy is necessary and relevant to the complaint.
For example, if a customer complained that a sandwich deli had queues that were too long, it’d make sense to bring up a hygiene policy (all staff must replace their plastic gloves between after handling cash and before assembling sandwiches). However, if a customer complained that they found the bathroom in a poor condition, don’t quote company policy that bathrooms are cleaned every 3 hours – instead, apologise for the lapse. Piotrowski adds, “If your explanation involves admitting that your company was wrong, consult your legal department. Issues involving liability can be tricky.”
4. Reassurance
Once you’ve explained the situation, reassure the customer that the problem is being dealt with or that you have a solution for their inconvenience. “Avoid saying that the problem will not recur unless you are sure that it will not,” explains Piotrowski. Just like a surgeon explaining complications to a distressed family, you have to ensure that you don’t make any false promises. For obvious legal reasons, you don’t want to be held accountable in the event that a situation cannot be remedied. Here are some ways you could provide reassurance:
… We promise you that the problem is being looked into.
… A refund can be issued immediately upon confirmation of your banking details.
… A staff member will be in touch shortly to arrange a replacement product to be sent to your listed address.
“If you cannot resolve the problem to your reader’s satisfaction, at least reassure him or her that you have done your best,” says Piotrowski. To add to this, if something is beyond your control, see if you can forward the complaint to someone or another department who can – that way the reader won’t feel like their complaint is being tucked away by corporate red tape.
It can be embarrassing to admit that you or your business made a mistake, but what’s even more embarrassing is being unable to respond to a complaint properly. Even if the complaint is petty and pointless, do remember to be courteous with your response. Antagonising customers is rarely in your best interest!