Benjamin Graziano of Des Moines, Iowa has many years of experience working in customer service. Here, turning a complaint into a triumph is a skill that sets these professionals apart. In the following article Ben Graziano discusses strategies and insights on how to transform challenges into opportunities in customer relations.
Customer complaints can be difficult to navigate. After all, no one wants to hear that their products or services aren’t up to par with their customer’s standards.
Ben Graziano of Des Moines, Iowa notes however, customer complaints can be a great opportunity to utilize feedback to improve, in turn creating better products and services.
Benjamin Graziano Says to Create a Space for Customer Reviews
Customers reserve the right to give their honest opinions on a product or service and need to know where to voice their opinions.
Setting up an email box or a review section that is regularly monitored can be a great example of this. Restaurants and businesses that provide services often are linked to a Google Map destination where users are awarded points for their feedback. Similarly, stores like Amazon and Target offer verified customers a chance to review their purchases on-site.
Ben Graziano of Des Moines, Iowa says additionally, companies can follow up with customers with emails asking for a review. Companies can offer incentives for customers to leave their reviews with a free item, discounts on their future visits, or points. These reviews can be helpful to attract new customers as well as drive sales.
Listen to Each Complaint
When it comes to customer feedback, it’s important to first listen to them. By listening first, companies can identify reasons why these customers are displeased and get to the root of their issue.
Benjamin Graziano of Des Moines, Iowa explains that companies need to take the time to look and listen to the reviews and see if there are trends or similarities between the reviews. By analyzing for trends and similarities, businesses can pinpoint the areas where to improve their product or services.
Investigate the Issue
After a customer shares their complaints, make sure to take their complaints seriously. Take the time to understand the complaints and see if the issue could have been prevented and where the product or service needs to be improved.
Examining the article of clothing or watching the behaviors or mannerisms of an employee may help to identify the root of the problem. Companies may hire “Secret Shoppers” to see how the customer service experience is in person or investigate a product for errors.
Implement Change
Ben Graziano of Des Moines, Iowa says that if customers are complaining about the same issues, change is necessary. For a team that provides services, identify the issue and address it with them internally. Explaining why the issue cannot happen and ways to prevent it from happening can help the team improve their services to ensure a smoother customer service experience.
Additionally, if the complaint is about the product itself, working with the right teams to improve the product can help reduce returns and waste, and potentially increase sales.
This may take time, but working towards change can help earn back a lost customer.
Provide Solutions
Benjamin Graziano of Des Moines, Iowa notes that customer service is at the forefront of providing solutions. Companies need to ensure that customers’ reviews are not going amidst, so having a dedicated customer service representative or team to handle complaints is crucial.
Customer service experts are expected to acknowledge and apologize for the issue and provide immediate solutions to the customers. Some services may do this by offering a free or discounted service on the customer’s next visit, while other companies may offer a free or replaced product. These solutions need to be adequate to satisfy the customer’s needs as well as still support the business needs.
Ask for Additional Feedback
While it might seem strange to ask for feedback again, giving the customer a chance to review the product or service after changes have been made allows the manager or inventor to truly see if the changes work. Additionally, it not only shows that their opinions matter, but it allows for a chance to repair the relationship and can even build customer loyalty.
Ben Graziano of Des Moines, Iowa reports that companies like Amazon allow reviews to be updated by customers. This allows businesses to build a positive reputation as it shows future customers that they are attentive to the customer’s concerns and needs and can provide resolutions.
In Conclusion
Benjamin Graziano of Des Moines, Iowa explains that listening to a customer’s complaint may be a difficult thing to do, but there are great benefits to doing so. Not only can companies improve their services and/ or products, they can use the opportunity to gain customers’ trust and loyalty.
So next time there’s a customer complaint, give it a listen!
