Respond immediately to customer complaints. But also assess the real reason the customer is complaining and discover what the customer is expecting you to do. If it's not clear, ask: "What do you suggest I do to make things right?" This redirects the conversation from argument to teamwork. In addition, saying, "What do you suggest I do," instead of, "What do you suggest the store do," relaxes the customer's irritation. The customer's now talking with someone who has the motivation and hopefully the power to take action.
The customer's proposal might not seem equitable, or even possible. In fact, some consumer behavior experts have been saying that there are customers around who extort retailers by using complaints. These customers make unreasonable demands under threat that unresolved complaints, justified or not, will go viral on internet social networking sites.
These experts point to the case of the Dunkin' Donuts customer who started a website devoted to complaints about the chain. Dunkin' Donuts ended up buying the site in order to control the exaggerations and misstatements. The site founder's original complaint? The Dunkin' Donuts outlet he went to didn't have nonfat milk for his coffee.
But compare that tale to what happened about three years later: A customer who was outraged about his problems with a Sony product got his complaint website up and spewing. Until Sony resolved the complaint, that is. At which point, the fellow converted the website to a depository for Sony fan messages.
Customers with complaints range from those who just want to have an "I'm sorry" (again, "I'm sorry" is much better than "We're sorry") up to activists who plan to go to the media or to government agencies. When one of your customers complains, assess the agenda.
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