Response to a Complaint

Domain-specific areas to pay attention to include the following

Focus/Purpose

• • Do not burden customers with information they don’t need.
    • Be as brief as possible but ensure that you answer the customer’s question.
    • Tell customers only what they need to know to solve their problem.
    • Additional details, however interesting, will only confuse them.

Development/Elaboration

• • Never lie to a customer.
    • Never pretend that you can fix something when you can’t.
    • If you can’t help, find or refer them to someone who can.
    • If the customer’s problem can’t be fixed, admit it and explain why.
  • If you or anyone else makes a mistake, fix it and apologize. If you or someone else at your company makes a mistake, fix it and say you’re sorry.
  • If you have to say ‘no’, explain why.
    If you don’t explain when customers make requests that you can’t fulfill, they will think you don’t want to help them. Make it clear that you’d be happy to help if you could.
  • If you send a boilerplate solution, make sure it answers the question and doesn’t tell customers to do something they have already tried.

Boilerplate is text that covers situations frequently encountered. It is written so that it can be used for many different purposes. Boilerplate solutions can save you time, but you should use them only if they answer the question precisely and adequately.

• • Never assume that the problem is with the customer, not the product.
    Just because the product works for you doesn’t mean that it works for the customer. Start by assuming that the customer has a broken product.
  • Refer customers to additional resources.
    • Supply a link to online help materials if possible.
    • Be sure that you give the link to the actual page that answers the question or related questions.

Organization

• • Organize information clearly, grouped by topic.
    Customers who can find the information they need, quickly and easily, can resolve issues quickly.
  • Use formatting to enhance readability.
    Use bulleted or numbered lists, headings, and bold or italic fonts to make information stand out. Don’t overdo it, though, or you’ll make the e-mail unreadable.

Before you send the email, fix any typos or spelling and grammar problems. Other rules for polite and effective e-mail:

Language/Style

• • Use a friendly, helpful, upbeat tone.

Be careful that your words convey the right attitude. A friendly, helpful, upbeat tone conveys to customers that you are sincerely interested in helping them.

• • Be clear, logical, and obvious with your meaning.
    • Put the answer in terms customers can understand, without being condescending.
    • Make your answer as straightforward and literal as you can.
    • If you must instruct the customer on how to resolve the issue, make sure they are in the order in which they should be performed.
    • Avoid jargon.
    • Avoid any wording that tempts you to add abbreviations or emoticons.
    • Don’t use text shorthand.
  • Use the active voice and short, uncomplicated sentences.

The active voice tells the customer what to do, which steps to take. Instead of saying, ‘Your complaint has been received and logged,’ say, We have received and logged your complaint.’

• • Use the customer’s expressions.

Adapting to the customer’s language helps you to communicate more effectively. As long as you both know what’s meant, use the terms they use. Correcting customers makes them feel foolish and serves no practical purpose unless it is critical to understanding one another or communicating with other people within your company.

Above all, remember who your customers are. They pay your wages. Without them, you wouldn’t have a job.

S.O.L.V.E. the Customer’s Problem

For each customer service situation, follow these steps as you communicate with the customer:

S

Sympathize with the customer. If you can convince the customer that you can relate to their situation while still being honest and true to policy, your ability to communicate with them will improve and be more effective.

O

Observe the facts of the situation. Make certain you have a full understanding of what happened, when and where, and what the customer’s specific complaints are.

• • Getting the Facts

You can’t help customers if you don’t know why they are not happy. Before writing new responses to a customer, collect as much information about the problem as you can. Customers’ situations vary widely, but here are some details to gather:

• • • With what product or service is the customer dissatisfied? Is there identifying information, such as a product name, order number, or date of purchase?
    • What part of the product or service caused the customer’s dissatisfaction? Is this an abnormal or irregular occurrence, or is it an issue with the product itself?
    • What solutions has the customer already tried?
    • Has he or she been in contact other company personnel? What did they suggest?
    • Have similar issues been documented? Is there a boilerplate solution to the customer’s issue?
    • How do company policy and procedure address the situation?

As you gather this information, pay close attention. Customers often misdiagnose problems because they focus on the wrong thing.

L

Log what takes place between you and the customer. Use the information you gathered to record the particulars of this customer service situation. Logging this information can be very useful on multiple levels, and the record begins here.

V

Verify the following information:

• • Customer name, gender (Mr., Mrs., Ms.), and contact information
  • Product name, number, color, and anything else necessary to help us to better understand the complaint
  • Date of purchase, call or calls to customer service, and warranty information if relevant or known
  • Nature of the complaint itself—Was it damage, size, or the wrong product, or were the customers’ expectations not met for some other reason?

E

Evaluate and Explain. As you conclude your communications regarding a customer complaint, you will help make a determination about what happens next. Consider these issues for the complaint situation:

• • Determine if the customer has a legitimate complaint.
  • Confirm if there is a warranty issue.
  • Investigate whether the issue was related to shipping or the condition of the product after it was sold.
  • Observe if you have noticed a number of similar complaints.

Effective customer service means communicating with a customer promptly, fairly, and with their understanding that you are there to help them. Not every situation will turn out perfectly.

Once you have covered the initial S.O.L.V.E. steps, use that information and understanding as you write to the customer.

Communicate politely and effectively

Customer service e-mail should follow basic rules for professional email. Be polite, and remember your netiquette:

• • Respect your customers.
    • Treat customers as you would want to be treated.
    • Be polite and sincere in all email.
    • Use a friendly, helpful tone.
    • Don’t insult customers.
    • Never treat them as if they are complete idiots, even when they are.
    • Offer customers encouragement when you can.
  • Don’t take rudeness personally.
  • Never respond to rudeness with rudeness.

Customers are most likely frustrated with their products or service, not with you. Responding impolitely will only make the experience worse for both of you.

• • Acknowledge the frustration and assure them you are working to make it go away.