Receiving Complaints

Receiving complaints

The way you initially respond to a complaint is crucial for gaining the customers trust in your ability to handle it. Trust levels will depend on how you receive the complaint and the approach you intend to take after learning all the details.

This module looks at the best way to act and respond when someone submits a complaint-whether it’s in person, over the phone, via email, or on social media.

You will learn the importance of listening, showing empathy, and planning a resolution – whatever form of complaint you receive.

These skills help you show a customer that you want to resolve their complaint, which encourages them to provide you with all the information you need.

Topics to be covered

• Receiving a complaint
• Complaints in person or over the phone
• Complaints via email or letter
• Complaints on social media
• Complaints through a review

Receiving a complaint

When you receive a complaint, you need to determine what type of approach is needed to address the issue, as it affects the immediate response you give to the complaint before taking action.

There are three ways to approach a complaint:

• Frontline resolution
• Investigation
• External handling

Let’s look briefly at what each approach involves.

Front line resolution

This approach is taken if you receive a complaint that can be easily handled on the spot, such as replacing a faulty product or issuing a refund for an adequate service.

You will provide an apology, and explanation of why the issue happened, and/or take action to resolve the matter.

Frontline resolution is usually attempted before investigation, as it prevents a drawn out handling process, but going straight to the investigation is often unavoidable.

 

Investigation

You must use the approach for complaints that have led to major inconvenience or discomfort for the complainant and require further investigation.

The investigation process enables you to determine all the details of what happened.

For instance, it would be used when service users have reported an error with your service or complain to staff miss treated them

External handling

When A complainant is unsatisfied with the resolution your business reaches, or the business is unable to handle the complaint, the issue can be taken to an external party.

The organization that the complainant can go to depends on the type of business the complaint is about.

This is important to know because you should provide a complainant with information about where to take that complaint if they are not satisfied with the decision. In many situations, this is not a legal requirement, but it is good practice as it reflects positively on your business.

We will look at examples of specific organizations in the next module.

Receiving a complaint

Businesses receive complaints in all sorts of forms. What a person makes a complaint, your immediate response must be appropriate for the form it comes in.

Complaints may be made:

• In person
• Over the phone
• Via email
• In a letter
• On social media
• Through a review

A suitable approach and shows that the handling process starts on the right foot and that the customer puts their trust in you.

Complaints in person or over the phone

Complaints made in person and over the phone can be challenging. They are usually more emotionally charged than the other types of complaints and require active, immediate responses.

Staff that have great patience and do not get flustered easily are well-suited to handling these complaints. Furthermore, they need to be able to fulfill the three things customers want when complaining.

Complainants want you:

• To listen
• To show empathy
• To reach a resolution

These three elements form the basis of how you should react when receiving a complaint in person or over the phone.

When the complainant is speaking, be patient and avoid interrupting, even if you do not agree with what they say-interruptions can cause annoyance and worsen the situation. Allow them to talk as much as necessary to fully explain the problem.

Being able to talk without distraction helps the complainant let off steam and removes the initial emotion, meaning you can both tackle the situation with a level head.

Keep your stance on the situation neutral. It is not your place to be for or against the complaint until the issue has been fully examined.

However, be sure not to confuse neutrality for a lack of empathy.

You can still acknowledge a customers feelings without taking sides. Use phrases such as ‘that must have been frustrating for you’ Or ‘can understand why you are feeling upset about this’.

Always actively listen

People can tell if someones attention is not fully invested in a conversation, particularly face-to-face. It can worsen the customers complaint-especially if they are angry or distressed-so you need to indicate to the customer that they have your full attention.

Active listening encourages the customer to communicate with you openly and honestly.

You are also showing you care about how they feel and about handling the problem, which helps them relax and makes the situation more manageable.

To actively listen you should:

• Use eye contact
• Nod occasionally
• Keep your expression mainly neutral, where relevant, you can look concerned or upset to show empathy.
• Avoid slouching or folding arms
• Use phrases like ‘ I see’, ‘I understand’, and ‘right’. They show you are listening and encourage the person to keep speaking.
• Ask questions about, and paraphrase, what the customer says when you have a chance. Doing so helps clarify facts and shows you want to understand.

Many of these do not apply to complaints received over the phone, but some are still useful even if the complainant cannot see you. For example, changing your expression and sitting up straight helps convey a tone of empathy and sincerity.

When the customer has finished explaining, you should start with an apology.

Keep in mind that your apology shouldn’t suggest your company is at fault, as you do not know the full situation yet. Phrase it in a way that shows empathy for the inconvenience and upset caused.

You could say something like: ‘I am sorry this has happened to you’ or ‘I am sorry you have needed to complain’.

After the apology, ask questions or prompt the complainant to explain more to help fill any gaps in your knowledge about the situation. Make sure you use open questions rather than closed ones. Closed questions only allow for yes or no answers, where as open ones allow the speaker to elaborate.

Use phrases like ‘can you tell me more about what happened?’ Or ‘so what did x do when you did x?‘ Remain neutral but receptive.

Only state that something shouldn’t have happened or was wrong if you are 100% certain. Otherwise, you may look unprofessional and inconsiderate if, at a later time, if you-turn on the statement.

Difficult and/or confrontational complainants may prevent you from following the steps easily. If that is the case, you should know how to steer the conversation back to a constructive direction or how to approach the situation differently.

Take the person to a quiet, private location where you can both sit down. You and the complainant can focus easier and they will appreciate that you are taking the issue seriously. If there is a risk of physical confrontation, be sure suitable staff members are present.

Remain calm and non-confrontational, but respond firmly if a person is being verbally abusive or might start being physically aggressive. Say phrases like ‘please don’t swear at me Sir/Madam. We can come to a solution easier if you stop’.

If they carry on, try to emphasize by saying something similar to: ‘I understand why you are angry. This isn’t allowing me to help you, though, could you tell me more about what happened?’

If the complainant will not stop being abusive, it is suitable to have them physically removed or tell them you will hang up the phone.

Avoid using ‘but’ in your response wherever possible; it conveys negativity and finishes your empathetic tone. Break your reply into two sentences instead.

So if you were going to say: ‘I understand you are upset Mr X, but you need to stop swearing before I can help you’ instead say: ‘I understand you are upset Mr X, if you stop swearing, I can help you’.

Another example is: ‘this must be upsetting, Mrs Y, but there’s nothing I can do until I investigate’. Instead, say ‘this must be upsetting Mrs Y, I’ll investigate the situation further and let you know what can be done’.

The latter is a much more active response; you convey what you can do rather than what you can’t.

Sometimes using ‘but’ is an avoidable, especially if a customer doesn’t respond to the positive version first, so use discretion.

If you sense the person is upset and finding it difficult to stay composed, ask if they need some time to calm down refocus.

If the conversation is over the phone, use a phrase such as: ‘I can tell you are upset. Would you like to have a break and I will call you back?’

Sometimes, customers end up continuously talking and repeating themselves during a complaint. In this situation, stop giving verbal acknowledgments like ‘I see’ and ‘OK’ and simply nod or show facial expressions instead.

Eventually, the complainant should notice the silence and become silence themselves, giving you a chance to speak.

After receiving the complaint, it is time to decide what approach is required and tell the customer what is going to happen next.

If you can solve the issue immediately, take the front line resolution approach. Provide an apology, explain why they’re complaint is valid, and resolve the issue with changes. You may want to provide some compensation for the inconvenience as a goodwill gesture.

If the issue requires that you look into the matter further and seek the involvement of other stuff, you must then tell the customer you are going to investigate the situation.

Ask the complainant for their contact details so you can communicate the progress of the investigation and any decisions reached. Give them an indication on how long a typical investigation process takes.

Conclude by thanking them for bringing the complaint to your attention, as it helps you improve your service, and that you will speak with them soon.

You may determine that your business cannot handle the complaint, for example, because you do not deem it valid or because it would require a disproportionate amount of resources to resolve or investigate.

In that case, apologize for the inconvenience and politely explain to the customer why your business is unable to act on the complaint.

Tell the customer they can take their complaint to another organization for external handling if they feel it’s valid. If you know of a suitable organization, give the customer contact information.

Details of this conversation should be sent to the person in writing so they still feel acknowledged and supported.

 

Complaints Via email or letter

Responding to a complaint made via email or letter is much easier, as you can take your time to draft a suitable reply.

Your response should:

• Start with Dear Mr/Sir/Mrs/Miss/Ms (name).

• Thank the complainant for bringing the situation to your attention. State that your business values customer complaints for improving service.

• Apologize for the inconvenience caused and for the fact that the customer has needed to complain.

• Paraphrase the details of the complaint to show you understand.

• Explain that you and/or the relevant team are investigating or have investigated the matter.

• Explain what resolution has been decided upon.

• Where relevant, provide an estimate of when you expect to reach a decision or when the complainant can expect an update.

If you determine that the complaint won’t be handled by the business, replace the section explaining what action you plan to take with the following:

Explain that you and/or the relevant team have considered the matter and decided the business is unable to act on the complaint. Explain why, for example, because of a business policy.

State that they can take theirs compliant to another organization for external handling if they still feel it is valid. Give the customer contact information if you know of a suitable organization.

End by saying they can get in contact with you if they have any further questions regarding the business’s decision to not pursue the complaint.

The next module will provide examples of written responses to complainants your give you an idea of how to structure and Phrase them.

Complaints on social media

Social media is where a huge percentage of customers submit their complaints about a business. It’s where they feel they’ll be heard and receive a response the quickest.

When customers complain on your social media page, it can be embarrassing to have the complaint visible to the public to see. However, an appropriate response can turn it into a marker of quality customer service and complaint handling.

You’re mine and should be checked out that the customer away from filling your public facing page with emotion-based your comments and onto a more private form of communication, such as over the phone, in person, via direct message on social media.

You should focus on constructing a professional yet from the reply, keeping in mind that everyone and anyone can say what you write. Do not want to say anything that could further upset the customer or be misconstrued by anyone reading.

Respond to a complainant on social media as soon as you can.

Doing so helps you to focus the conversation and show any public viewers that you actively respond to comments. The speed of your reply is equally important as the actual response.

Research into social media activity, published in the social habit, states that 32% of customers who attempt to contact a brand, product, or company via social media expect a response within 30 minutes and 42% expect a response within an hour.

No response at all is also a response in itself. It says ‘we do not care about you or your problem‘. Do not send that message to your customers and the public, and ensure you respond to concerns as soon as possible.

Customers do not expect the formality and stiffness of a letter or email on social media, but still expect a polished and professional response that shows your business is capable and trustworthy.

Don’t use a generic reply: refer to the person by the name and include details about the situation to show you probably read the complaint.

Taylor the tone of your reply to the type of complaint. For example don’t use emoji‘s or exclamation marks. If a complaint mentions distress or injury caused: theres a time to be conversational and a time to be serious.

Follow a structure similar to this:

‘Hi john, thanks for being this issue to our attention. We’re so sorry you’ve experienced this; I understand it’s frustrating. I’ll contact you via private message now, so you can tell me more about the problem. This will help me to investigate the matter and look at reaching a resolution for you. Thanks!-Steve’.

Wherever possible, do not delete complaints or negative comments.

The person may return and complain again, which can reflect poorly on you. Always respond professionally and calmly as this gives the public a good impression of your business.

If a customer ignores your replies and continues to be disrespectful and rude, it is acceptable to say you will not tolerate their behavior and to give them a warning. Always be clear about the situations so that any public viewers following the conversation do not misunderstand the situation.

If the complainant persists with posting inappropriately, it’s acceptable to delete comments and block the entire individual.

Most customers are cooperative and will speak to you via one of the listed methods to discuss the complaint, but some may to try to keep talking through a chain of comments.

If this happens, stay responsive to the situation and emphasize. Resist the temptation to copy and paste your previous message, as this makes you look impassive-aggressive

A situation that requires front line resolution may be acceptable to handle over the comments. If you suspect the issue needs to go to the investigation stage, keep steering them to private contact by initiating it yourself via a private messaging system if the platform has it.

Once the conversation goes private, respond appropriately to the form it was received in.

If it’s over private message, keep your tone conversational yet professional and, if you determine the situation needs investigating, ask the complainant if they would like you to keep them updated by the same private message conversation or another form of contact.

 

Complaints through a review

Complaints made by reviews can’t be frustrating for a business, since they have more permanent than social media comments and I’ll read widely by potential customers. However, it’s handled properly you can turn them into positive reviews.

Readers browsing your businesses will recognize that you actively response to issues and are trustworthy, even when something doesn’t go quite right.

Complaints made by reviews can be handled similarly to social media. Your reply should explain why the complainant have faced the issues and encourage them to get in private contact with you.

Follow the structure suggested in the social media response.

If the review is on social media page, you can follow the same structure, but if your company receives reviews via an external site, it’s usually a bit more formal than social media, so keep that in mind when writing your reply.

Exercise

Take a look at the scenario below and then answer the following question:

You are a receptionist for a hotel. A guest, who checked in last night, approached your desk looking flustered.

The guest explains that when they were using the shower, the water went ice cold and would not reheat. The same happened to the taps.

They also tell you that housekeeping staff attempted to enter their room around midday, thinking the room was empty.

The guest demands that you refund them for their 3 nights stay and asserts that they will never use your hotel again.

You are aware of the issues with showers, and you have received confirmation that the problem has been fixed. But you don’t know why housekeeping attempted to enter their room.

Upon receiving this complaint what three things should you do?

Inform them that you will investigate why the housekeeper attempted to enter their room

Offer them some compensation, such as a free meal or one night stay

Inform them why the showers weren’t working and apologize

Issue an immediate refund and tell them not to come back

Summary

• This module explained how to respond to a complaint so the customer feels confident in your ability to handle the issue. It also looked at the three different approaches you can take after receiving a complaint: frontline resolution, investigation, or external handling.

• When receiving a complaint in person or over the phone, always actively listen, avoid interrupting, remain neutral, ask questions, and paraphrase what the complainant says to show you understand.

• Reply to email or letter complaints with a well structured response: Thank the person, apologize, paraphrase the details of the complaint, and explain the investigation that has been all will be carried out.

• It is vital to reply on social media complaints as quickly as possible. Write a response in a conversational yet professional style, but be sure to tweak the tone based on the type of complaint received.