No matter how carefully you plan a project, complaints are bound to happen. Maybe an order arrives later than expected or a logo prints incorrectly. Sometimes, a customer may be disappointed with the final product, or the shipment misses an important deadline.
When things don’t go as planned, it’s important to act quickly. That’s because customer complaints can directly impact your business goals, according to Pipedrive’s Abilio Rodrigues. He points out that most unhappy customers don’t complain at all — they just stop working with you. In this issue of PromoPro Daily, we share his guidance for handling complaints before they cost you the customer.
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Acknowledge and listen. Customers want their issue to be resolved, but they also want to be heard. Don’t just jump straight into a resolution before they’ve finished explaining their problem. This can make the conversation feel transactional, Rodrigues says. Instead, say something like, “I can see why that’s frustrating.”
Investigate the issue. Once the customer feels heard, Rodrigues recommends gathering the information you need to understand the cause of the issue. Look in your CRM to uncover what happened vs. what the customer expected. Where in the process did the gap appear?
Who else was involved, and what do they know? He says getting clear answers helps you get a complete picture of the problem before you propose a solution.
Agree on a resolution. Rodrigues says it’s important to set a clear, realistic expectation for what will happen and when. Aim to acknowledge the initial complaint within a business day and provide a resolution within 2-3 business days. This gives you enough time to investigate customer issues without leaving them in the dark.
Log the complaint in your CRM. Be sure to record every complaint against the relevant contact so any team member who deals with the customer in the future has the full picture. Rodrigues says consistent logging also creates an audit trail for customer support. If a customer reopens or disputes a complaint, there’s a clear record of what was reported, what was agreed and when.
Follow up after resolution. A short call or email 3-5 days after you resolve the problem confirms the issue was genuinely fixed rather than just closed. Rodrigues advises keeping your follow-up short and specific. Be sure to reference the original complaint rather than sending a generic check-in.
A customer complaint doesn’t have to be the end of the relationship. In fact, it can be a way to show your professionalism and build trust. Listen carefully and follow through on your promises. How you respond after something goes wrong often leaves the biggest impression.
Compiled by Audrey Sellers
Source: Abilio Rodrigues is a content editor at Pipedrive.
