Bad customer service & complaint management: 4 tips for businesses

Service-oriented should Companys be that Customer is to be treated as a king. Because that's how companies should always be Eyes lead, the critical consumer will immediately move on to the next provider. Unfortunately, the reality in Germany is still different.

Customer complaint as Youtube hit

A few years ago, the following story went viral: The Canadian folk singer Dave Carroll flew with United Airlines to Nebraska and got his guitar at the airport pretty broken back. When United refused to pay, Carroll just made a song about it and uploaded it to YouTube. 5 million views and various reports on CNN and MSNBC later United wanted to pay then.

Apart from the fact that the video shows very nicely how little squeamish airlines handle with luggage, this musical complaint is a nice indication of what is possible in the social media age when customers deal with creative, original ideas to defend themselves - to the (image) damage of the company.

Complaint management - useful or not?

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Most companies have complaint management departments that are designed to absorb and somehow manage customer resentment. However, in an emergency, when customers complain publicly via video, most companies are not equipped at all and panic spreads all too often.

"I'm an entrepreneur, customers have to buy well and shut up." Despite digitization and globalization, many companies in Germany still act according to this motto, and they still have a long way to go to understand that the maxims of the new Economy read differently: Namely customers as People to see who help to find errors and eliminate weak points - productive complaint management.

What happens to you as a customer

That's what happened to me recently, for example, when I complained to my telecommunications provider - one that won an award for its customer service. And not because of a trifle, but because they simply forgot, contrary to my order, to cancel with my old provider and the contract without mine Background had continued.

When I now the double Costs wanted to have it reimbursed, I was first fobbed off with a standard letter, after which the costs could not be reimbursed - and then the explanation followed as to why this had been done. My complaint that a mistake was made when concluding the contract over the phone was not addressed at all.

When I called, I was informed that I had to complain in writing, by letter or fax and with my signature. If I didn't, I could only get the standard answer. In my opinion that doesn't do anything Sinn and is pure customer harassment.

That's how good customer service works

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So I called now a bit more energetic, but not unfriendly, the self-employed hotline, a total of three attempts because I could not explain to the people right away that the DSL hotline could not help me.

Eventually I got a friendly guy on the line who got it to my house in five minutes satisfaction could regulate. And what did he enter in his form: The customer escalates! When I asked him, he honestly explained to me that in the company's jargon that's the expression when customers call several times and demand their rights a little more energetically. Excellent. So now I know what this company thinks of its customers.

Customer service via social media: unadulterated, relaxed and authentic

There are other great examples of good customer service, such as Deutsche Bahn's Twitter account. And Humour is simply part of it – customers are noticing this on the Twitter account for customer service, @DB_Bahn. Customers sometimes ask about muscular dogs and toilet paper. This is disposable and a good advertisement for the DB at the same time.

Some time ago, Deutsche Bahn found it difficult to get into it because of your boss ticket Criticism devices. Well she learned from her mistakes some time ago and customer service is now responding Ask also via Twitter. Exemplary. It is also particularly exemplary if you answer questions yourself via Twitter that you have to ask yourself whether they are meant seriously at all:

Like asking for more toilet paper. I found it particularly funny that the customer ended up using the Bahn Magazine - after all, it's good for something...;-) After all, dear @DB_Bahn, the customer is making a big mistake at this point I aufmerksam: The condition on the train toilets.

4 tips for companies

But what can companies do besides such humor inserts specifically to improve their customer service? 4 tips.

1. Calculate budget for complaint management

But the Problems lie lower: Namely in the budget that is granted for complaint management. Dissatisfied customers simply cost money Money and should actually be taken into account. But that's exactly what doesn't happen in many companies: the budget for complaint management simply doesn't exist.

Unlike selling products where the Performance ja clear delimited and the price is clearly defined, customer service and complaints management are services the scope of which is not obvious to the consumer at first glance and which fast be able to run into the wild.

2. Customer service included

Consultation example: Often, the questioner is not clear what the temporal scope of their simple question takes; An effort namely, in addition to the creation of a clear customer profile often includes lengthy research, you want to come as a consultant, finally, to a reasonable, serious statement.

And the customers are then surprised when hourly rates of 80 euros or more are charged for this simple information. Some are even regular insultedbecause you can't and don't want to help them out of sheer philanthropy.

3. Always stay calm when dealing with complaints

The jug goes to the well until it breaks: This statement applies in many cases to the complaint management of companies. I experience this again and again as a customer: When you answer innocent inquiries, you suddenly and unexpectedly feel the entrepreneur's frustration. And then every time I think: entrepreneurs shouldn't react like that.

Because: companies whose employees freak out on the hotline because the customer demands things that you can not afford at the price, has already lost. Because he only shows his helplessness to oppose the everywhere raging price war corresponding business concepts. In addition, the customer usually has no idea how high the equivalent of his claim. That, too, has to be communicated.

4. Clearly redirect services and service

It is better to outline its services, including service, from the outset in a clearer and more transparent manner so that the customer knows exactly what he can and can not get. Especially in the service sector, this is sometimes difficult. And even if you clearly communicate it to the customer, it is not clear if he understands it.

In addition, you have to make it clear to the customer that, for example, you do not act out of pure philanthropy but out of entrepreneurial consideration. That is to say: for good performance there should also be good money. that also includes a good complaint management.

Conclusion: customer service means to act entrepreneurially

Even though entrepreneurial activity seems to have the negative connotation of pure selfishness for many, one should not wear this shoe:

Entrepreneurship is not bad and should contain social components as well - but that's another discussion.

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