It doesn’t matter how good or how loved you may be.  It doesn’t matter how wonderful your product or service may be.  It doesn’t matter how perfect your business location may be.  Sooner or later in your glory march to victory, you will receive a complaint from a client.  Your response to that complaint, which no doubt will come as a huge surprise, maybe, will help determine your operation’s ability to retain and grow the valuable relationship virtually each client has the potential to provide.   

Most often complaints are cries for help from clients.  Quite often we find that the complaint centers around: a misunderstanding involving cost, process or responsibility; a shortfall on performance has developed; or, the client is feeling unappreciated.  All of these can lead to tense moments for you and also for the client.  However, please realize that confronting these challenges head-on and working to achieve a win-win atmosphere places you in a great position to gain in the long-term with your approach. Your gain comes from finding out what not to do or what needs to be clarified; and, the client gains from the fact that their voice was authentically heard.

Here are some simple suggestions to keep in the forefront regarding complaints: 

1)  Remember most often you have an emotional situation.  Hold your emotions so as to not add to the heightened atmosphere.  Allow the client to vent to you moving them to a private area if this comes in person so that their private information that may be conveyed is protected.

2)  Professionally apologize to the client for the fact that they are upset and were forced to visit or contact you under these circumstances.  Take responsibility for examining what can be done.  Do not “pass the buck.”

3)  Listen intently to the client.  Make good eye contact if in person. Nothing says I “hear” you more than good eye contact.  If you are listening by phone, listen.  Put your phone on mute to prevent yourself from interrupting.  When you hear “dead-air”,  convey to the client that you are there and listening.  The client must talk themselves “out” before you can proceed.

4)  When the client has in fact finished, confirm in a professional manner what you heard the client project and ask for confirmation that you have indeed heard, and fully understand their issues.

5)  Thank the client for making the contact. Inform them that finding out when a miscue occurs is very important to you and you appreciate the comments.

6)  Provide the client with two (2) critical actions as a result of their comments:  a) what you will do as a result of what they have conveyed; and, b) a definite timeline to deliver the response, or conclusion.  If on the other hand you can resolve the issue immediately, do so.  Utilize the “under-promise/over-deliver” philosophy whenever possible.  

7)  Where you reach a conclusion that denies the client’s request, explain the situation fully,.  Saying no but providing a full explanation of denial is as important as saying yes.  Where you can not provide what the client seeks but can provide an alternative, do so.  Sometimes options prove to be more impactful than the original request. At all costs avoid saying, “We don’t do that…or That’s going to take too much work…”.

8)  At final conclusion, send the client a “hand-written” note again thanking them for the opportunity to address the issue.  While not all complaints can be resolved to the client’s complete satisfaction, your professional approach will have an impactful affect.

After you have completed the process, there is some work yet to do.  Don’t “high five” yourself for satisfying the client.  You need to “debrief” the process and examine the following:

1)  What clearly caused the situation to occur?

2)  What process or content should be examined to prevent this from happening again?

3)  What other aspects of our business should we examine to prevent related issues from arising?

4)  What grade would we give ourselves on how we handled this interaction and why?  What did we say or do that worked?  What did we say or do that did not work? 

5)  What was the most beneficial learning gained from this interaction and why?

You have followed the process.  You have debriefed the interaction.  So how do you feel? Are you energized or do you feel otherwise? If it helps, keep these facts in mind:

1)  You are human.  You will make errors.  Errors are a fact of life.  Deal with it.

2)   Learn from your shortfalls or your success.  Don’t repeat your shortfalls and enhance your success patterns.

3)  People are both great and trying.  It all depends on how you allow your eyes and mind to view the circumstance.

4)  Getting even is for tyrants.  There can be no tyrants in business. 

5)  Learn to laugh.  It may not completely solve your current concerns but it will make you feel better about you.  That is most important.

6)  No need in running from trouble. It will always outrun you because it knows all the shortcuts.  Stand your ground and face it head on.  Despite the cuts and bruises, you will find strength from your courage.

7)  When all else fails, always fall back on fact #1.  That is the most profound reality you will ever confront.

So, don’t ever worry about complaints.  Face them head on.  Complaints will help you build your business and your career IF you will apply the simple suggestions properly; debrief your actions; and, always remember fact #1:  You are human.  You will make mistakes!