Why Customer Complaints are so Valuable
31 Jul
Customer feedback is what will keep your business moving in the right direction. Value every bit of feedback you receive, no matter how painful. You don’t always have to address it, but you’ll learn a lot from listening.
I recently received feedback from a customer who was not overly happy with one of our policies. In fact, the truth was that she was quite unhappy and sent a very pointed e-mail to me about it.
As I read through the letter, it was obvious that this lady did not understand business at all and was most likely a chronic complainer, who wouldn’t be happy no matter what we did. However, she was a customer and like all customers who contact me directly, I responded by e-mail and then by phone. We actually talked for almost 40 minutes about the issue and how disappointed she was.
After the phone call, I spoke with my Managing Partner about the situation. We both recognized that she was a chronic complainer, and that we probably might not be able to satisfy her. Unfortunately that does happen. No company is perfect for everyone 100% of the time.
We did take her comments seriously as I have always valued every bit of customer feedback I’ve received. Most unhappy customers will simply leave a store and never return. So when an unhappy customer takes the time to tell me about why they’re so unhappy, I take that very seriously and value their input.
In the end, as difficult as this customer was, we still took her comments under advisement and actually changed a couple processes to address the issues she had. We figured that there is a strong possibility that we may still lose this one customer over this issue.
Even if this customer never returns to our store, I can’t help but wonder how many other customers were unhappy about the same processes in question and just left without saying anything. I’ll never really know. All I know is that in the end, the concerns she had were valid and needed to be addressed. Her e-mail and our subsequent conversation was the catalyst that brought us to change.
No matter what feedback you receive from customers, I always recommend that you at least hear them out and take their concerns under advisement, no matter how much you might not agree with what they’re saying. You can bet that if one customer has an issue with something, they’re probably not alone. They just happen to be the one who was kind enough to tell you. Value it.
Andy
Andy Buyting has been in the retail industry since he was six years old. Today, he applies his entrepreneurial know-how to Green Village Home & Garden, one of Canada's most successful specialty garden stores. Green Village Home & Garden is currently expanding into multiple locations throughout eastern Canada.
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I appreciate the article and agree with the point being made, but what was the purpose of referring to the customer as a “chronic complainer”? You make it sound like you are doing her a favour by listening to her as her point of view clearly has no merit!
I no this wasn’t your intent but I think that it reflects the larger problem with many retailers and that is the perception that they have been in business long enough that they know better than the client.
I think what he meant by saying “chronic complainer” is the fact that this person complains about everything regardless of the outcome. You could have done a great job and they would still complain, that is just how some people are. He actually bolded a section where he said that those people that complain are actually very important customers, since they actually took an action as opposed to the majority who simply never return to the store. The “chronic complainers” are customers you can learn from the most.
Actually, Vadim hit the nail right on the head. I never believe that I know more than my customers (because I don’t). It is because every business is going to have a small percentage of customers or clients who will not be happy with the service they receive, and will always speak what’s on their mind.
What I tell my staff is that we will ALWAYS do everything in our power to ensure that our customers leave satisfied with their experience. However, the realist in me knows that this is not always possible. I tell my staff that 99.9% of the time, our “No Customer Left Behind Policy” will ensure that our customers leave satisfied. Not necessarily happy every time – but at least satisfied. The other 0.1% of the time, there may not be anything we can do to help the situation – that customer is not going to be happy. Period.
Now the point I was making is that these “chronic complainers” are very valuable for your business, because they will speak their mind and tell you where they find faults in your offering. That’s why i wasn’t doing her a favour by listening to her, I was doing myself a favour. As tough as it is sometimes to hear what they have to say, it is our opportunity to learn what they (and presumably others) think about the service we provide.
I simply choose to use the term “chronic complainers” as opposed to others. And I personally value our “chronic complainers” much more than other business colleagues I know.
I’ll Digg this, thanks!