Customers can make complaints to Better Business

Most of us complaints terror. It is human nature. As an entrepreneur, you do not want to hear something negative about the business you built with your heart and soul. Even if customers, we are often inclined to keep our frustrations to ourselves. We do not want an owner or operator to be sick, or do not want to appear to be "complainants". So we tend not to share our frustrations with the same people who can potentially make the situation right. And therein lies the problem.

Suppose that Mary is not satisfied. In general, do one of four things as a result. 1. If Mary does what most do, she probably just keep it to himself. This may mean that stewed on it a bit ', and if frustrated enough, you simply take his business elsewhere in future. 2. Mary can really vent on it to the other. If frustrated enough, she shared her frustrations with her family, friends and associates. 3. If seriously dissatisfied, Maria could also complain to a legal entity or public. You may complain to the Better Business Bureau or similar organization. 4. Or, in the best case scenario, but one less likely to happen, you could actually make a complaint to the owner / manager.

What you might find interesting is that only a small percentage of dissatisfied customers actually go to the owner / manager. In fact, research shows that only about 5% of people will. Instead, it is much more common for the person to tell other people, instead of someone who can actually fix the problem. Studies suggest that the average person is dissatisfied likely tell 11 other people for their frustration. Eleven! Compare that to only three mentions when someone has good news to share. (And I'm not inclined to share with anyone, if you simply get what you expect -. "Ok" ie without frills if the product or service only)

The bottom line? Unhappy customers are not likely to talk to you about their problems, but they will (on average), with 11 other people talk about them. This is a lot of negative word-of-mouth exposure that is working against a business, rather than for it. Even worse, I did not know there was a problem or concern and have not been given the opportunity to address it.

Now, if only a small percentage of people who have legitimate issues or concerns will have time to speak with you directly, you must treat these "complain" as gold. This person is believed to be a much larger group of customers who have the same or similar concerns. Take time to listen. Determine what you can do to solve the customer problem. And consider what changes could be made to improve the situation to make it better for other customers who have not brought the matter to your attention. This kind of attention is the true customer service in action and can help retain customers. . . as positive buzz.

What can you do to make sure you really know what customers are thinking (even if you do not say):

Encourage customer feedback. Be proactive and not wait for complaints to surface in a roundabout way. Rather, recourse to surveys of customers or a suggestion box to gather input, feedback and suggestions. You will be amazed at some of the good ideas that come your way by those who know better. . . your customers.

Follow-up with clients who have taken the time to bring a problem to your attention. Come to an agreeable solution, and do it now. Then follow-up in a week or so with a card or phone call. This clearly communicate your dedication to customer service and can help turn a frustrated customer into a loyal.

So the next time a customer shares a frustration or concern, to accept this feedback, rather than fear / denial / resent it. That only came out of his way to give you the ability to turn a negative situation into a positive outcome. And that can mean innovative solutions, happy customers and positive word-of-mouth and long-term customer loyalty. And this is a huge benefit for your business....