Every business has to deal with disgruntled customers from time to time; but how they do so can vary vastly.
When it comes to matters outside statutory rights of return, some organisations take a hard line on disputing customer complaints and requests for discounts or returns, while organisations at the other side of the spectrum (such as certain car dealerships, for example) offer returns without question to any dissatisfied customer regardless of the nature of complaint postured.
Each of these diametrically opposed approaches have pros and cons, but ironically both can invalidate customers for different ways; a customer who is refunded without having the substance of their concerns heard or addressed can feel as invalidated as one who faces a brick wall when raising what they feel are valid issues.
An organisation's approach to complaints, returns and discounts has to be recognised as being intrinsically linked to its brand, given it touches the outside world - see our post entitled "Recognise that Culture & Brand are inextricably linked" for further context.
Added to this, the tentacle reach of modern technology (and its vast array of independent customer review sites) permits of immediate transmission of views and opinions that stretch globally; and while it is one thing to have a potential claim for defamation against a customer who makes unreasonable comments online, it is quite another entirely to have the resource and funds to enforce itagainst freedom of speech, by which point the damage has probably already been done!
So, the following basic guidelines can assist in finding a common ground between organisational and customer interests:
● comply with statutory and consumer duties on returns and complaints at all times for reasons contained in our post entited "The Relationship between Legal Compliance & Stressbusting™"
● adopt and implement a written complaints and returns policy which is clear, accessible, advertised in advance of point of sale and understood organisation wide
● apply this as consistently as possible to avoid allegations of discrimination, but with flexibility to acknowledge that each case may be unique to its facts
● use a sensible font in your policies as the days of 'relying on small print' are truly long gone and rightly so - customers who have sight issues deserve to be able to read policies clearly as much as those fully sighted - see, for example, our post entitled "Improve Deaf Awarenesss & Opportunities in the Workplace"
● offer policies in braille and British Sign Language as necessary - another means of validating all customers depending on the scope and specifics of your market
● have both an internal complaints procedure and an external, independent one if a customer remains unhappy having exhausted the internal procedure. Reference these in, if not attach them to, the organisation's terms and conditions of sale or supply to be able to demonstrate you have done so in case of dispute
● be careful about what you guarantee in respect of a service or product - see our post entitled "The difference between "warranties", "indemnities" and "guarantees""
● impose quality standards and purchase after care across the organisation which reduce the risk of complaint
● if complaints increase, ask why and use this as a tool to learn and improve - see our post entitled "The Mirror Diffuser Strategy for Stressbusting™" for a useful technique in this regard
● always try to understand what lies behind the complaint. In the case of a supplier, for example, if a complaint appears disingenuous, does it belie underlying challenges in their own trading or financial position? - see "An Introduction to Credit Insurance revenue protection" for the relevance of this specific example
● in the event that a customer has a valid grievance, do not be afraid to apologise; this can diffuse a situation, is often what a customer is looking for as much as financial reimbursement and can be an extremely powerful communication tool. If an apology is in order, make it genuine and unconditional - see our post entitled "Sorry (needn't!) be the Hardest Word" for further explanation
● ensure that where appropriate insurance policies correspond with complaints handling policies; some policies, for example, require complaints handling procedures to comply with specific criteria as a condition to effective coverage - see our post entitled "Make Insurance relevant to StressBust™ optimally"
● always treat customers with dignity and respect - they are the lifeline of any organisation and the best form of product or service research there is so listen to them - see our post entitled ""The Universe gave us 2 ears and only 1 mouth for a reason"" . Training given to complaints handlers should reflect this fully
● have a contracted dispute resolution procedure such as mediation or arbitration which avoid complaints or demands for returns escalating to court - our post entitled "The Dangers of Litigation to Corporate StressBusting™" discloses the very good reasons for this.
Approaching a complaints and returns policy as a positive branding tool rather than a necessary evil in this way can assist the construction and implementation exercise greatly.
If you can relate to the contents of this post and would like the value of our extensive expertise in this area, please reach out to us in confidence via our "Contact" page or at connect@stresstips4u.com
For further information in this regard, please consult our "Legal Notices" page.