customers complaint

Philippines
April 6, 2008 1:36am CST
Have you experienced working in a service oriented establishment? Food Chain, Retail Store, Department Stores, etc.. Encountered customer's complaint? How did you manage to pacify angry customers?
1 person likes this
8 responses
@fenicliu (93)
• China
26 Apr 08
I used to work in hotel chains group, Ramada, Marriott. I remembered that I was trained to use "LEARN" principle to settle the complaint. L=listen attentively, E=emphasis (confirmed the event plot), A=apologize, R=react (make quick response), N=notify customer and promise the same thing won't be happened again. I think this priciple is easy to use and practical. I wish it could give you a little help.
• Philippines
26 Apr 08
Wow, I like that. This would be a great addition to my knowledge in customer service. thanks for this my friend. This will surely be used when I get the chance to work back in a retail job again soon. You know during peep talks and briefing of new hired personnel.
• Philippines
1 May 08
Thanks for these additional tips, I've done some of those you mentioned before and it really works!
• China
26 Apr 08
Tks for your confirm my answer. Here more tips for you. I have another understanding for A. It can be said analysis. You need to distinguish who is correct, customer or your company? Mostly, it's customer. And then you apologize. If it's not your fault, try to make him calm down. If he complaints loudly, try to take him to your office, to avoid causing any bad effect to other customers. Give a glass of cold water and make him not so angry. Think yourself as this customer, if you meet the same encounter, what do you need the service man do for you? To be simple, try to solve the problem standing at the customer's point of view if not against your company's policy. Let your customer trust you and believe you are the only one who can help him. Be confident, don't be afraid. :P
@roxanne271 (2034)
• Trinidad And Tobago
1 May 08
Yes I have experienced working in a "retail store" A customer came back one day with an item he just bought for $300.00 dollars (that's about $50USD) and he claimed it was broken when he tried to install (although it could just be that he was trying to install it and it broke) Well I was a fairly new worker there and the manager had stepped out so that just left me and the more experienced girl to deal with this. Well I'm sorry to say, for someone who has more experience, she needs customer service training. She has a tendency to make the customers feel like idiots...on purpose. Well, this guy was getting pretty upset about his $300. bucks and I don't give him wrong! My salary was just a tiny bit above that amount and I would be angry too if I were in position. So I calmly explained to him that "I understand where you are coming from. I might be behind the counter right now, but I am also a customer when I go elsewhere and I would be upset if that happened to me as well. Unfortunately I am pretty new here so you'll need to talk to the boss when she gets back." Well the guy actually calmed down a bit when I told him, well hey...it happens to all of us at one time or another, not just you alone. well, the boss wasn't convinced that the item came broken but she had no choice but to replace it for him anyway.
• Philippines
1 May 08
Most of the times even if we know its the customers fault, we need to still satisfy him by giving his demand, this is to ensure continous patronage. A retail business couldnt afford to loose one customer, for that one may lead to tens or hundreds...
@julyteen (13252)
• Davao, Philippines
6 Apr 08
professional entrepreneur know already how to deal with this kind of customer, for most of the time, if you are a crew learned to be calm don't mind what the customers say. never attempt to argue the customers because it will worse the situation. accept all bad words he/she said until finished. the saying says "customers is always right" even you aware that does not your fault but being your customer she always right. you can make any strategy that will her/him to think the fault is not from you instead from him/her. i remember the story relate by our teacher her own experience similar to this discussion while she working in a mall in emirates. the customers claim that he want to the mall to replace the item that he bought because of the factory defect. the agreement on the receipt issued that you can only claim for exchange 2 weeks after the purchase but he did it one month after purchase. then it should be supported by the official receipt issued by the mall but he didn't show any receipt, they tried to explain the customers but he didn't want to hear their explanation. they really really upset on the customer. being crew so she ask help to her manager and you know what the manager did? she offer the customer to replace the item with any item inside as a gift. the customers attitude immediately change. most of the crew wonders why the manager did that. later on the manager explained to them " she maid that because in that way the customers might think that what he did is not good instead he is embarrassed to himself of what he did. example if that customers a member of a huge family it's a big lose of the mall if he advice his whole family including friends not to visit their establishment anymore. this is right decision that every entrepreneur must observe. if you think that the man doesn't deserve this means you are not an entrepreneur. if you are a crew you have no choice except to follow what your boss decide otherwise look another job. am i right?
• Philippines
6 Apr 08
You're absoultely right julyteen, sometimes its best to let your supervisor or manager decide on cases like you stated.
1 person likes this
@sisco100 (2338)
• United States
6 Apr 08
well by being nice and some people hate tht u still act nice when u know tht their being mean. something i would tell them tht i was going to get some one tht knew more then me and hand them off to some one else.
• Philippines
6 Apr 08
YUp. we need to be nice at them, we need to be patient for they are our customers, I could not forget this one, customers are the bread and butter of any business, so they should be treated well...
@DudaYLen (219)
• Philippines
20 Jun 08
Mine is not customer's complaint but students complaint , he he. Don't be threatened by a customer's complaint.Customer' know when they can intimidate with complaint. Never let anger, in a disrespectful fashion, occur without commenting on it. Sometimes, if a customer is extremely angry,it may be best to give the customer space. If that is so, acknowledge what you are doing to the customer.Teach them how to deal in a positive way with anger.Respond to anger in a quiet manner,never with anger. Two angry people create a fight, one angry person and one calm person often finds a solution.
@sissi320 (328)
• China
19 Jun 08
I am working in the quality service team. And there is so much complains from customers, and our company's rule is Customer satisfied, so I always keep calm, and patience to deal the issues.
@Candee (530)
• India
8 Apr 08
No I did not have any experience as of now. But, I feel it must be very difficult for them to handle the angry customers and cater to their sometimes outlandish demands. This kind job doesn't get the applaud it is supposed to get. we hardly keep or cool when comes to dealing with customer care service. We are always jittery, angry and dis atisfied. I feel sad for them.
• United States
20 Apr 08
oh my god. when i read about customers complaints and stuff i cant help but to get angry and think about all the crazy customers i deal with in retail. just a few weeks ago somebody brought something to the register and when i rang it up she said it was supposed to be on sale. i checked and still wasnt sure if it was included in the sale. so i checked with my manager who said it wasnt considered part of the sale. i explained to the customer. she got mad asked to talk to my manager. so i paged her but she was on lunch and it took her a few minutes to come up to the register. just as she came up the customer left. she sent an email to corporate complaining saying that she doesnt mind that the manager was on break but what she did mind was the poor customer service. i didnt treat her poorly and coudlnt figure out what i did wrong. oh well.