Jasmine Birtles
Your money-making expert. Financial journalist, TV and radio personality.
How to Navigate Through Customer Complaints Professionally
Reading Time: 4 minutesYour dream is finally becoming a reality. Your business is growing, and more customers show up at your virtual doorstep asking for your products or services. And then it happens – a wave of customer complaints and even a few chargebacks ruin your mood.
When this happens (and it will happen), it’s important to stay calm and assess the situation from a point of reason. Every great business faces such challenges.
But the ones that are still standing and flourishing have a solid reputation management strategy. This is why it’s crucial to learn early on how to deal with these hiccups.
In today’s article, we’ll have a look at how seasoned entrepreneurs navigate choppy customer service waters and make it in one piece to the other side.
- Use Composure and Empathy in Your Replies
- Be Prepared for Chargeback Claims
- Don’t Take It Too Personal (Especially on Social Media)
- In Summary
Use Composure and Empathy in Your Replies
When someone besmirches the good name of the business you’ve poured your heart and soul into, it’s natural to want to scream back at them. But this would be one of the worst things you could do.
When navigating customer complaints, the prime directive must be to keep your cool. Losing your temper or becoming flustered will only throw fuel on the fire. So, keep your emotions in check and respond with professionalism.
Customers airing their grievances may seem daunting but try to see things from their perspective. Are they right? Is there something you could have done to change or avoid the current outcome?
Treat each complaint with empathy and try to understand. Also, don’t try to come up with excuses. It’s best to apologize sincerely and take action to ensure the situation won’t repeat should the customer decide to return.
Be Prepared for Chargeback Claims
Since customers have the right to return products or request compensation if they are unsatisfied with a service, most businesses have to deal with chargeback claims. It’s a normal aspect of business.
However, as Monica Eaton from Chargebacks911 says, many merchants may find themselves fighting invalid chargeback claims. Monica was in a similar situation, when her years of hard work started to be eaten away by customer disputes.
At the time, there weren’t any reliable, merchant-centric solutions to help honest business owners prevent and fight these disputes. This is how Chargeback911 was born, as a solution that will have the merchants’ backs.
Of course, you should also implement steps that will ensure optimal collaboration in case of a dispute. Here are a few ideas:
- Understand the reason behind the chargeback – Check your records and review the transaction in question. This can help determine if it was a fraudulent or an authorized purchase, a delivery issue, or simply a matter of product dissatisfaction.
- Gather Evidence – Gather all the relevant information related to that transaction, such as proof of purchase, communication with the customer, and terms and conditions that the customer agreed upon.
- Respond within a timeline – Chargebacks come with strict response timelines determined by banks or credit card companies. Ensure responses are delivered well within those deadlines to avoid automatic deductions from your account.
- Be professional in communication – Whether you’re dealing with customers directly or communicating with banks or credit card companies, always keep communication professional and calm.
- Offer Refund if Appropriate – If it looks like the dispute may not go in your favour, consider offering a refund directly to avoid a chargeback record with your payment provider, which could potentially lead to higher fees for future transactions.
Lastly, it’s important to earn from this experience and understand the causes that led to this resolution. Also, take action to prevent future chargebacks – it could be anything from enhancing product quality checking mechanisms before delivery to improving delivery service and more.
Don’t Take It Too Personal (Especially on Social Media)
Social media is a great medium for branding, marketing campaigns, and creating solid communities. However, it’s also a space that fosters rumours and short-lived trends, so it’s best to keep a level head.
In fact, getting too involved in social media is one mistake many new entrepreneurs make. While it’s crucial to stay on top of your online presence (like setting up brand mention alerts), you should ensure your overall online behaviour is professional and in tune with the target audience.
If you tend to get too personal about things people say on social media about your business, it’s best to hire a social media manager who can handle the situation calmly. They can also help you learn from negative feedback and find ways to improve.
Remember – your customers should always feel welcome to lodge their complaints and give feedback about your services or products. This is a great way to establish trust and focus on retention.
In Summary
As you sail through the world of entrepreneurship, remember that complaints and chargebacks don’t define your business. It’s how you tackle them that counts.
So stay cool-headed, listen actively, empathize with customers, and handle problems professionally. Implement protection policies to avoid chargebacks, and remember – every setback is a setup for an even greater comeback!
Disclaimer: MoneyMagpie is not a licensed financial advisor and therefore information found here including opinions, commentary, suggestions or strategies are for informational, entertainment or educational purposes only. This should not be considered as financial advice. Anyone thinking of investing should conduct their own due diligence.
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