Handling complaints

Ofcom has recently published its findings on the number of complaints made about telephone companies in the second quarter of 2011. Although Talk Talk once again top the list by a long way in respect of landline services, the Ofcom press release does take pains to point out that the Talk Talk complaint level of 0.8 complaints per 1,000 clients is a considerable improvement on the pervious quarter (1.12 complaints per 1,000 customers).

The Ofcom data doesn’t break down the nature of the complaints. However, it does say that on average in 2010 it received 350 complaints per day and these generally related to matters which have not been resolved.

Handling complaints is one aspect of business life which we all have to face from time to time. In this age of social media, how we deal with the complaint can sometimes make the difference between a good or poor internet reputation. The basic rules for complaint handling are:
Make it easy for the customer to contact you
Be empathetic and understand their viewpoint
Investigate promptly and keep the customer informed at every step
Agree the remedy and put things right

Luckily for businesses the advent of internet telephony means that managing a customer complaint is now easier than ever. Looking at the first rule, that of making it easy for the customer to contact you, there are a number of solutions even for a one man band. These include telephone divert, answer phone services or the use of virtual assistants. For a customer wanting to complain, being unable to contact anyone will only aggravate the issue. Being able to speak to someone, even a virtual assistant service, means that the first step in complaining has been taken and this can reduce the anger levels. Even an answer phone message advising how long it will be before you phone back will be far better than the phone ringing with no answer.

When investigating a complaint, sometimes it is difficult to fully appreciate all the issues from notes made at the time of the initial call. This is where telephone recording can come in handy. This will enable you to listen back to the complaint call to make sure you haven’t missed any vital points. If the complaint relates to a previous telephone discussion then playing back that discussion will also enable you to swiftly come to a resolution.