Winning through managing customers’ complaints

S. JESUKUMAR Eastern University, Sri Lanka, Batticaloa.

Customers are considered to be king in the 21st century as they provide a base for the survival of marketeers. Today’s consumers seek more than price bargains such as useful purchasing information, high quality, reliable and safe products, dependable servicing, and fair sales practices. Above all, they want to know that companies are trading ethically. A company’s failure to fulfill these expectations can breed dissatisfaction and antipathy, unless that business helps resolve resulting consumer complaints fairly and promptly.

In the contemporary global marketplace, where businesses compete both nationally and internationally, effective complaint management must be a priority for every business. The way a company reacts to complaints is a measure of its concern for the quality of its merchandise and services and of its desire for consumer satisfaction.

It is evident that markets become more culturally diverse, more global in nature and customers’ expectations are changing. Due to the changes in the market place, staying close to the consumer is of increasing importance. Complaints are a critical form of communication between buyer and seller. They offer business an opportunity to correct immediate problems and they frequently provide constructive ideas for improving products, adapting marketing practices, upgrading servicing or modifying promotional material and product information.

Innovative systems

Recognizing the importance of responding fairly and efficiently to customer complaints many businesses have established effective and innovative systems for resolving consumer complaints. However, not all companies have made effective complaint management a routine part of their business operations. Effective complaint management leads to increased customer satisfaction, which in turn, yields greater brand loyalty.

Therefore, the marketeer who wants to increase customer satisfaction and brand loyalty has to pay great attention in managing the customers’ complaints through which he will win the customers. The Marketeer has to follow the following steps to manage the complaints of customers.

First, the marketeer must designate a location to receive complaints from customers. Customer help lines should assist the customer to know where and how to file complaints and it should be visible and accessible to customers.

Second, a system for record-keeping of customer complaints should be in place. Record-keeping should record, categorize, and fill complaints and it should communicate with top management whenever necessary. Computerizing the record-keeping would enable process to be faster and effective.

Resolution

Third, process the complaints to categorize for resolution. At this stage, assign one person to handle complaints and whenever necessary forward it to higher authority.

Fourth, acknowledge the complaint. Consumers do not register complaints with only a casual interest in their disposition. Complaining involves some inconvenience. Loyal customers with strong feelings are often involved. Therefore, talk directly to the customer by phone or in person whenever possible. Letters also can be used when necessary, but avoid impersonal form letters. Take extra time to help consumers with special needs, such as language barriers or disabilities.

Fifth, Investigate and analyze the complaint. Be fair. Get both sides of the story. Keep records of all meetings, conversations, or findings in the complaint file.

Sixth, resolve the Problem in a manner consistent with the established goals for customer satisfaction. The Marketeer must promptly keep the consumer informed through progress reports and notify the consumer promptly of a proposed settlement.

Finally the marketeer has to follow up to see whether the customer has been satisfied with your resolution for their complaints. Learn for future complaints resolution from the resolution provided now. Preserving your current market share and attracting new customers to your products and services would be too far unless you try to keep their complaints resolved.