Happy Clients
The online newsletter for those who want to keep their best clients,
from Jeff Simon Consulting, the Client Retention Specialists.
In this issue: Into each of our lives, a client complaint call must fall. Whether or not you can turn the call around, you still have to move on. Here’s a pathway to do your job and appropriately negotiate your emotions.
How to Survive Complaint Calls
Question: Every now and then, I field calls from complaining clients. Successful or not, I am often distracted for the rest of the day. What can I do to regain my focus?
Consider these two complaint call scenarios.
Scenario 1: The Court Filing
Randy is a dispatcher for a messenger service that makes deliveries for law offices. Rene is an attorney who works for one of Randy’s biggest clients.
At 11:00 AM, Rene’s secretary called to order a court filing delivery for a court 90 minutes away. Randy asked the secretary if she wanted the delivery expedited, a common order from Rene’s office.
The secretary assured him that the court filing only needed to be returned by the end of the business day. Just to provide a high standard of care, Randy dispatched a driver and the court filing was returned to Rene’s office by 4:00 PM.
The next day, Rene called Randy and she was furious. Rene asserted that the order was expedited, and because it was late she had to work on the assignment through the night until 6:30 AM.
Randy reviewed the job ticket with Rene on the phone, and confirmed for her the time of the order, the service ordered, and the time it would have taken to do the job if expedited. At best, Randy could not have completed the job any more than 90 minutes sooner. All to no avail as Rene told Randy that her office would find a new messenger service.
Scenario 2: A Free Wheel
Betsy is the manager of a tire shop. Joe is a customer who came in on Friday to get his front two tires replaced. As many customers come into Betsy’s shop, she never actually interacted with Joe.
Joe got his tires and went on his way.
At 9:00 PM, Joe received a call from a friend whose mother just went into the hospital. Joe immediately headed out to support his friend.
On the way to the hospital, the right front tire came completely off the car. Joe called roadside assistance, but they told him it would be 90 minutes before a tow truck could come to assist.
While waiting, Joe called the tire shop to complain about the poor workmanship. Since the shop was closed, Joe left his complaint on voice mail telling the shop he would never do business with them again. Betsy’s voice mail system forwarded the call to her and she immediately returned Joe’s call.
After hearing Joe’s story, Betsy asked for Joe’s location and told him she would be right there. She showed up immediately to repair the tire, give Joe a full refund, and get him on his way.
Why Did One of These Complaint Calls Result in Resolution and The Other Did Not?
Both customers, Rene and Joe, were very angry.
Both told their vendors they would never do business with them again.
But ultimately when you get to what is underneath the anger, Joe wanted his problem solved. Rene wanted payback.
One you can provide. The other you cannot.
Recognizing this difference is one of the most important steps to overcoming the emotions of a complaint call. What are the others?
Managing the Emotions of Complaint Calls
Step 1: Before the Call
Prepare for complaint calls by understanding how your clients experience your service. Where are they likely to have problems? Where are they likely to be confused?
The more you know before the call, the better able you will be to manage the episode during the call.
Step 2: During the Call
Keep your head about you. It’s not personal. Identify what your client needs. No matter how difficult the call is for you, you can still ask the question: “What can I do to make you happy?”
If your client can answer this question, you have a pathway to solving the problem. If your client cannot, he or she is not likely to remain your client and there is little you can do about it. Best to focus on the problems that are solvable and leave the rest.
Step 3: After the Call
Document the conversation while your memory is still fresh. This is not only cathartic, but provides an opportunity to later debrief important issues.
When you continue to relive the episode later, your mind is processing your emotions about it. Writing it down will facilitate and speed your emotional processing.
Happy Client Retaining,
Jeff Simon
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© 2004-2006 Jeff Simon Consulting. All Rights Reserved. Wouldn't you love to peer into your client's head and know what they are thinking and feeling? Could you have better success at keeping and choosing your best clients if you could decode their behavior? Check out the Happy Clients Newsletter at: www.happyclientsnewsletter.com.
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