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Using complaints to improve

Using complaints to improve

After handling complaints, it can be easy to put them aside and forget they ever happened, but you can use them to reflect on your complaint handling process and the business as a whole.

This module looks at specific areas where there may be room for improvement.

As well as implementing changes that resolve the root issue of an individual complaint, you should also explore ways to prevent similar issues happening in the future in other areas.

You should also look at ways to improve your complaint handling process by reflecting on past complaints.

Topics to be covered

  • Addressing root issues
  • Reflecting on complaints

Addressing root issues

In the first module, we looked at the main reasons customers may complain. These complaints usually point towards why a business’s products or services fail to deliver customer needs or expectations, and so tell you exactly how you might improve.

You could improve by preventing the following:

  • Dissatisfaction with a product or service-I’d the complaint is about a fault or error, your company must liaise with the manufacturer or producer and ensure it’s corrected before you continue selling. Make sure all product or service descriptions are accurate.

  • Poor attitude or service of staff-the business may require better induction or ongoing training to ensure staff provide quality service. You may need to use a striker recruitment process to ensure people with the right attitude are hired from the start.

  • Complaints about prices-your Organisation should keep prices competitive and affordable. Market research and an awareness of what competitors are doing is necessary, but that’s not to say you should always undercut your competitors; you can look untrustworthy but always promising the lowest prices.

  • Unmet expectations-listen go and read what customers are saying about your company and competitors. What do they expect from your products and/or services? Is your service slower than it should be? Look at ways it could be improved.

  • Disagreement with a business policy-there’s little room for movement on business policies-they’re in place for a reason but sometimes they may need to be made clearer or more readily available to the public so there’s no room for confusion.

  • Inability to access services-is access to the goods, services, and provisions potentially discriminatory? Do you have adequate disability access? Can people book appointments out of work hours? Can they contact your business more than one way?

  • Dissatisfaction with a decision-you should be able to provide adequate and reasonable evidence for all the decisions you have made during the process and should know which external bodies you should refer complaints to if they are still not satisfied.

  • Poor communication – customers and service users may be misled if employees don’t accurately convey information. Staff training is vital for ensuring miss information is not given to people and that staff know how to listen and talk actively and with empathy.

Reflecting on complaints

After handling a complaint, be sure to reflect on how it went. Doing so helps you to assess how effectively you were able to investigate.

Did customers face any issues submitting their complaints? Can complain to be submitted in various ways for example in person, over the phone, via social media, online forms, etc. are people whose first language isn’t English able to submit complaints?

 

We’re customers pleased with the process?

Where appropriate, send a survey to complainants regarding their experience with the complaint handling process. Be sure to ask if they felt they could comfortably submit their complaint and whether or not they felt that you clearly communicated with them.

We’re there any areas that you didn’t feel confident in?

Do you need further training or information? With additional knowledge, your investigation process will be more efficient and accurate.

Are there any past complaints to assess?

It’s worth looking at how complaints were handled in the past, participle those on related issues, to see if you can learn anything.

We’re you able to communicate regularly with try the complainant?

If not why? What would you require in future to keep a better ongoing dialogue with the complainant?

We’re you able to handle the complaint in a timely manner?

If not, why? Where are you restricted by others in the business who were slowing the process down without good reason? Can you receive training to eliminate the need for the input of others?

Did the business support you sufficiently?

Could you access data easily? Did other teams cooperate and assist you? Were you given support during particular tough complaints, for example those involving difficult customers or personal threats?

Talk to people who can enact changes in these areas or those who can offer advice for helping you do so yourself.

Reflection is important for improving the complaint handling process and, intern, improving customers relationships with your business.

 

Summary

  • You should consider how to improve in areas that are common causes of complaints, such as service, prices, or business policies.

  • After handling a complaint, you should reflect on the process:

  • look at feedback from customers or people involved in the investigation.

  • Reflecting on the process enables you to improve your business and its reputation for customer satisfaction.