What Is Your Attitude Toward Customer Complaints?

Customer Complaints

A Customer A customer is the most important person in any business A customer is not dependent upon us. We are dependent upon him. A customer is not an interruption of our work. He is the sole purpose of it. A customer does us a favor when he comes in. We aren't doing him a favor by waiting on him. A customer is an essential part of our business, not an outsider. A customer is not just money in the cash register. He is a human being with feelings and deserves to be treated with respect. A customer is a person who comes to us with his needs and his wants. It is our job to fill them. A customer deserves the most courteous attention we can give him. He is the lifeblood of this and every business. He pays your salary. Without him we would have to close our doors. Don't ever forget it.

- Sam Walton founder of Wal-Mart. Customer satisfaction should at the very least be the goal of every business. If it is not, you will not be in business for long.

Just picture, our survival in business hinges upon our ability to retain satisfied repeat customers. Our employees should be on board with this attitude and it must permeate every aspect of the business.

Our prevailing attitude toward customer complaints must not be one of, what is it now? But rather an attitude of welcoming customer complaints and using the customer complaints as an opportunity for improvement.

Just to recount a personal experience of mine. I had the occasion to question the amount of a bill for a service that I used for my home. The young lady who answered the phone was outright rude and obnoxious. I asked her to put me through to the General Manager of the Company. I was left aghast at her response.

She told me no! Twice! Can you imagine that!

I don’t wish to go into any more details, but that was far and away my absolute worse encounter with bad employee attitude. Wait! The worst time could have been when I was challenged to a fight by an employee. It’s a toss up.

Obviously, we have some work to do. Customers must be seen as top priority. Anything less is unacceptable.

Here's the bottom line, successful business is built on repeat business. Why is it that certain customers do not give repeat business? Ever ponder that question? There is an answer you know.

Many studies have already proven the following facts about why businesses do not get repeat customers:

1. Customers have moved away from the area. (3%)

2. Customers have found other friendships. (5%)

3. Your competition was successful in taking. (9%)

4. Dissatisfied for one reason or other. (14%)

5. Attitude of Employee. (68%)

What is most important here is result #5. Bad, indifferent employee attitude is like a cancer that destroys from within. But it is treatable if found in time.

Far and away, it has been proven time and time again, that the attitude of employees can seriously cripple organizations.

It is quite obvious there is not much you can do about customers who move away from the area. That’s life. However, something can be done about employee attitude.

Do you employ Managers, Supervisors, Telephonists, People who handle Accounts Payable questions, Production Staff, and even Design and Technical Staff?

Why ask?

Because each and every one of these employees must somehow be grafted into the customer satisfaction matrix. Work with your staff. Find out what tools they need to effect customer satisfaction. Give them the tools, and then give them the authority to use those tools.

Customer complaints should be treated as if they were gold nuggets. They should be welcomed, properly dealt with on a timely basis and wherever possible, used to guide future policy. Believe it or not, we do not have all the answers.

A wise man once said;

Every man knows more than you about something. If you don't learn from him, it is your loss not his.

- Lonnie W. Adams, my Father (1921-1980)

Wycliffe Williams makes Customer Satisfaction a top priority in his business. You must strongly consider making Customer Satisfaction a top priority in your business too. Let us set up your very own viral business for you. Set up is FREE!: http://www.wyclefinnovations.com/indexpip.html

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