Client Complaints – 4 Tips To Help You Turn Complaints Into Business Opportunities

Everyone has had an unhappy customer at some point. Whether their complaint was based on miscommunication, circumstances outside of your control, or an error within your business, we can all bring to mind that one client who just wasn’t impressed. 

When a situation like this arises, it can be tempting to simply make good on the issue and move forward as if it never happened, but did you know that complaints can be turned into business opportunities? Today we’re going to explain how:

Above And Beyond

We all know that, where possible, the best way to resolve a customer complaint is to fix their issue. But if we go a step further, say providing an extra service or freebie, we have the chance to switch them from a critic to a fan. 

If you want to ensure your customer is happy at the finalization of the transaction, promotional corporate gifts are a great way to do this. Not only do they receive the message that you truly care and are apologetic for the mix-up, but they also become brand ambassadors whenever they use the products you give them. 

Don’t just give any old gift. Be sure that it’s top-quality and targeted to the client or the problem you resolved for them. The subtle promotion provided by your branding will do the rest. 

Dig Deeper

Instead of just rectifying the issue and moving on, look into how and why it arose in the first place. In some cases, this will be a straightforward answer, but in many, you’ll need to use your investigative skills. 

This will take some time, but once you’ve worked out exactly where things went wrong, you can establish processes and procedures to prevent it from happening again. This saves you money in the long-run and greatly improves customer experience.

Make The Process Easy

If customers know that you want to hear even the smallest grievance, they’ll form a stronger relationship with your business. Not only does this mean that they’ll be more forgiving if anything does go wrong, but it also means that you’ll have a host of feedback that can help you plan future improvements. Plus, you can track the entire journey and analyze whether there are any blockages in the resolution process – faster turnaround times always make customers feel better. 

Publicize It

Although this may seem like a strange tip, if you’re getting certain complaints or questions repeatedly, it could be a good idea to publish both the issue and your company’s response. This shows that you listen to customer feedback, are willing to make adjustments when required, and most importantly, that you do actually rectify issues if they arise. 

Taking such an approach will build both trust and authority for your brand and can help you get ahead of the competition if they’re the type to simply sweet issues under the rug. Remember, much like how consumers are skeptical if a product has perfect five-star reviews, they’re also less likely to believe in your brand if you appear to have only ever had positive encounters.

What you do with these tips is entirely up to you, and whether or not they are appropriate will depend on each individual business and situation. If you’re able to implement them, however, you may find that those complaints which seemed like such an issue before could actually be a blessing in disguise. There are silver linings to everything, and customer complaints, when turned into opportunities, are no exception.