A recent post on the forum brought up a great point about handling customer situations. One of the members asked about the best way to handle a customer who isn’t happy with your company.

First of all, it is great that a business owner is concerned that someone may not be happy. However, coming up with a set policy to address customer concerns may not be the best approach. Whether you deal with all of the customer concerns yourself or you have a staff, it is best to address each situation as it is raised.

I feel every situation should be handled based on the customer, the issue, and the impact to you and the customer. In my opinion, it is evident when a company has a cookie-cutter approach to customer service or employees are given a policy & procedure manual to address customer complaints. They seem inflexible and not sincere.

The best method is to listen thoroughly to the customers’ concerns. If it isn’t clear how you did not meet their expectations – ask. Let them know that their feedback is important to the success of your company and you want to know exactly how you did not live up to their standards. Many times listening and thanking them for the feedback is all that is needed. Not engaging in a conversation with the customer and simply giving them a coupon may not make them feel valued.

If a customer provides you with an opportunity to get feedback (whether or not you agree with what they are saying), this time is priceless. 90% of your unhappy customers would not give you that opportunity. They just would not come back again.

I also think it is critical to the success of a business to track all feedback, whether it comes as a complaint or a comment. It will help identify areas of your business that may need focus and improvement.