Question Details	Asked By	Asked On
customer service	CeeBee	09/22/03
I was just reading your profile and noticed this: "When a customer complains and I don't listen, then common sense tells me that the customer will soon be talking to my competitor or complaining to their neighbor or coworker. I would rather that they continue to complain to me than to express their complaints to others." I understand about complainers going to competitors or complaining to others, but wouldn't it be better for the customer, the company, and especially the employee to find a way/ways to resolve the complaint rather than continue to hear complaints?
Answered By		Answered On
Billy		09/22/03
CeeBee, Of course, it is always better to resolve the problem if that is possible; but there are two apparent problems. 1. It is not always possible to resolve the problem because of legal stipulations or governing guidelines; therefore, you continue mediating for a compromise. 2. There is a philosophy, that people complain about the most important problem in their life. When that problem is resolved, then they begin to address the next issue in their life. Some people will always have a problem. For example, this site. When the "worst offender" is removed, then people begin to point the finger at the "next-worst", complaining that they need to be suspended. In customer service, the end result is not always customer satisfaction. The majority of customers will accept a lesser degree of satisfaction as long as you are honest with them and explain why they are getting a lesser satisfaction than they feel they deserve. The purpose of the statement concerning "I listen", I was thinking of telephone complaints. NEVER let a customer hang up on you. NEVER. Always keep them on the line until there is resolution, compromise, or a defining time to contact them again with a resolution. And then, insure you follow-up. billy

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