Use Customer Complaints to Identify Risks and Opportunities. Customer complaints may seem like a bad thing for your company, but they may not be after all. If you use those customer complaints to identify risks and opportunities over time you can use them to your advantage. Nobody really welcomes complaints, but if you do get them you may as well use them as a tool to help make improvements in your business.
Making Changes
In an OppenheimerFunds case study conducted by TARP, they found that the company had inefficient communication and many unresolved problems. When the company started emphasizing enhanced training and resolutions with each response, they found their customer loyalty rate went up 15 per cent. This shows just how important it is to communicate and resolve the issues. Their goal was to increase customer retention and their efforts were successful.
In another case study, Marriott hotels wanted to enhance their problem-resolution capabilities. They found that there were unresolved problems, along with declining performance. They implemented standard employee training, focused on problem resolution, and created a guest recognition and complaint database. The results of identifying the risks and opportunities with these complaints, and taking action, was that they saw customer satisfaction go up five per cent, operating costs drop 30 percent, and they gained the ability to better track all decision making.
Following Suit
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What was done with OppenheimerFunds and Marriott could also be done with your company. Rather than look past customer complaints, you can make the decision that they will become important tools. Use them to identify risks in your company, as well as to create opportunities for change.
The information you receive from customers is an important part of the process of growing your business. There may be trends that help you identify problem areas that need to be addressed. Take the time to address them and your company will continue to grow.
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Whether your work with a customer service specialist or go it alone, it is important to start thinking of customer complaints in a new way. They are not something to hide or run from. Take each one as a challenge, identify trends over time, and use that information to strengthen your company. You may just be surprised at how it can retain your customers, improve your sales, and can greatly improve communication within your company and with your customers. Handling customer complaints really comes down to being effective, rather than letting them slip by.
