Handling a complaint calmly

A complaint answered well often creates a more loyal customer than one who never had a problem.

Five steps

Reply fast. Within an hour is ideal; within the day at the latest. Even "I have seen your message and will look into it" helps.
Listen. Let the customer say it all. Do not defend yourself first.
Say sorry for the problem, whether or not it was your fault.
Offer a fix. A replacement, a refund, a repair or a credit, and a date.
Follow up after it is done to check they are satisfied.

Messages to copy

Hello [name], thank you for telling us, and I am sorry for the trouble. I have noted the problem. I can [replace it / refund it / repair it] by [date]. Does that suit you?

Hello [name], I wanted to check that everything is now fine with your [item]. Thank you for giving us the chance to put it right.

Mistakes to avoid

Arguing about who is right in a chat.
Answering with a long list of rules.
Promising what you cannot do, to end the chat.
Deleting or hiding complaints instead of learning from them.

Learn from them

Write each complaint in a list with the cause. If the same cause appears twice, fix the cause. The complaint form example gives you a form that asks the right questions.

Common questions

What if the complaint is not fair?

Stay polite, explain what happened and offer what is reasonable. You may lose that customer, but you keep your standards and your calm.

Should I give a refund every time?

Decide your policy in advance. Many small businesses refund where the product was faulty and offer a replacement or credit otherwise.

Keep going

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