Dealing with customer complaints: a unique methodology for recording complaints. Excerpt from the book "Complaint Management: How to Increase Sales Using Customer Complaints." System and strategy for handling complaints How to deal with customer complaints step-by-step algorithm

20.03.2014 06:35

Why is it important to deal with complaints?

Customer complaints may concern the quality of service, the behavior of your company’s staff, late order fulfillment, the quality of the product or service provided. Proper organization of work with customer (consumer) complaints allows you to increase their loyalty to your company and, as a result, income. The influx of new clients depends on customer satisfaction with the quality of services provided.

In my experience, approximately 50% of new clients come from recommendations of existing ones.

If a client complains, it means that he is experiencing a feeling of strong resentment or dissatisfaction and wants to tell you about it. If the complaint is justified and he did not receive satisfaction, you have lost him, as well as his friends and acquaintances. After all, it is known that retaining an existing client is a higher priority than attracting a new one. Firstly, customer retention requires lower costs, and secondly, customer losses can disrupt the functioning of an established market with little real growth. Therefore, customer commitment based on quality and constant satisfaction of his needs is one of the significant advantages.

How to deal with complaints

1. Record all complaints

First of all, it is necessary to record all complaints and claims received by the company in a specially created journal ( see sample). This should be entrusted to the employee responsible for working with customers (usually a marketer or quality director deals with complaints).

It is necessary to record complaints in order to later find ways to solve certain problems and eliminate shortcomings in work. Complaints can also tell you what customers think about the company. All received complaints should be discussed regularly (for example, once a month), not only their content, but also the methods and speed of resolving the situation. All employees responsible for working with clients and their complaints, as well as managers whose departments are affected by the complaints should take part in the discussion.

2. React as quickly as possible

Each claim must be examined and a so-called internal investigation conducted. It is advisable to respond to the client as quickly as possible, if possible - on the day the claim is received. This is the only way he will feel the care of your company. If your employees are found to be at fault, the client needs to apologize and correct all shortcomings. Moreover, as practice shows, it is best to eliminate minor complaints first, and then figure out whose fault the failure occurred.

3. Provide feedback

Provide businesses with constant and reliable feedback. Train your employees to listen to customers, answer their questions and solve their problems. Staff must understand that complaints are a normal part of business and a valuable source of information, and not evidence of their incompetence. Working with a client, you solve his problems, and if he feels that his problems are not indifferent to you, he will come to you more than once.

4. What to do if the complaint is unfounded

If you see that your company is not to blame for what happened, you need to explain to the client that you have fulfilled all your obligations. However, it is advisable to offer a way out of the current situation with fewer losses for the client and for your company. The client should not be left alone with the problem! This is especially important for organizations operating in the b2b sector.

In my practice, there was a case when a client received a claim that not all the agreed work on the design of a retail outlet had been completed in full. An immediate on-site visit made it possible to establish that all the work listed in the task was completed in full and according to the project, and the discrepancy was caused by the fact that the customer changed the requirements during the work. After discussing the situation, we decided to satisfy the customer’s requirements, despite the fact that this led to a decrease in our income. Currently, this company is our regular client.

Dissatisfied clients show ways of development

Dissatisfied customers cause a lot of trouble, but they are also the most important resource for development. A willingness to solve problems that arise can turn customer complaints into a source of quality improvements. The right approach to handling complaints will allow you to expand the range of services and provide them at an even higher quality level. There is no need to be afraid of client complaints and try to shift responsibility onto him. A client who comes with a complaint is of invaluable importance to you; he points out the shortcomings that are slowing down your business.

General Director speaks

Stanislav Sharipov| General Director of the company "AVRO-BUS", Moscow

Reference

The main activity of the company "AVRO-BUS" is the automation of accounting and management tasks of customers using 1C:Enterprise software products, as well as the development of standard and industry-specific solutions. The company operates in the market information technologies since 1998.

Sometimes from representatives of various companies, when asked about complaints from customers, you can hear the answer: “There are no complaints and never have been.” We are not one of those lucky ones: our company periodically receives complaints from customers. Moreover, we are grateful to customers for complaining about us, as we believe that any complaint or complaint (whether it is justified or not) carries a signal about how our work processes can be improved.

The procedure for processing complaints (claims) in our company is established in the “Feedback with Customer” procedure. The procedure describes how to record and process customer complaints and compliments, how to evaluate customer satisfaction, and ensures that information is regularly collected on customer perceptions of the extent to which their requirements have been met.

We work with complaints (claims) as follows. The client's request is received by the company and registered in the database. All it takes is a phone call from the customer. Then the head of the quality service processes the complaint, which includes several stages:

Clarification of the situation (opinions of the customer and the employee who performed the work), analysis of the validity of the complaint.
Finding out the reasons for the complaint (what caused it, what factors caused this situation).
Development of so-called corrective actions: firstly, actions to eliminate customer dissatisfaction and, secondly, measures to improve work processes that will avoid similar complaints in the future. Corrective actions are developed regardless of whether the complaint is justified or not.
Customer satisfaction assessment (how satisfied the customer is measures taken and completed work).

Typically, the process of responding to complaints and taking the necessary measures takes from three to ten days. When we can respond promptly, the complaint is processed within a few hours.

The most important thing in this process is not to dismiss the client, to see the reasons that led to his complaint, and to try to eliminate not only the consequence (shortcomings in the work performed), but also the cause (imperfect work processes). The worst thing in a relationship with a client is when they leave. When a customer complains, he gives us a chance to continue our relationship with him and a reason to improve our work. If the claim is settled and the customer is satisfied, he will usually maintain his relationship with the company; Moreover, his trust increases and cooperation can continue for a long time.

All processes of the quality management system in our company are almost completely automated, which significantly simplifies most routine procedures. Thanks to this work with complaints, we have the following statistics: in 2005, our company performed work amounting to more than 14,000 standard hours, during this period 16 complaints (claims) and 73 commendations were registered.

The receipt of a claim from clients does not mean that entrepreneurs made a mistake in conducting business. For business owners, the main task is to establish communication with consumers.

By correctly using the algorithm to consider incoming applications from buyers, it is possible to find a way out even from difficult situations- for example, when the product sold turned out to be of poor quality.

Depending on the type of claim, the content of the instructions also depends, because in accordance with this, the deadlines provided by law to Russian companies differ.

What is working with customer complaints and claims?

In Russia, a general procedure for handling customer complaints has been adopted, but many companies are improving the algorithm of this technology. If you follow the existing basic algorithm, customer loyalty is guaranteed to increase. And all because the client will know: It is important for company representatives to know his opinion, and they are ready to conduct two-way communication.

This procedure will help you get as close as possible to the consumer. Thanks to this, it will be possible not only to earn the client’s respect, but also to better understand the essence of the problem.

Details on how to write a response to a buyer's complaint are available.

What are the main ways to deal with complaints and claims?

Even if the complaint is unfounded, it still should not be ignored.

Modern books, the basics of which businessmen should know, describe the main methods for considering applications from clients:

Emotional empathy;
Argumentation and direct assistance;
Open questions;
Apology;
Checking customer satisfaction.

The method is chosen by the entrepreneur himself, depending on the specific situation.

Rules for handling customer complaints and claims

It is necessary to work with buyers according to instructions. You never need to be aggressive with them, but you also don't need to get overly defensive. Please read the request carefully and agree to take responsibility.

The buyer's needs must be satisfied as quickly as possible. If an immediate solution is not possible, it is recommended that the response to the buyer indicate as precisely as possible when the problem will be resolved. At each stage, you need to have close communication with the consumer and check how satisfied he is.

The main task for an entrepreneur is to determine the reason why the complaint could have been received. It is important to determine immediately what state the consumer is in - calm, aggressive or irritable. It is necessary to find out how the employee who made the mistake understood the situation. One of the main rules in the existing algorithm is the constant stimulation of feedback.

Regulations for handling customer complaints and claims

Often, a company has a policy on handling customer complaints, and it is publicly available. Clients have the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the text of this regulation on the official website.

The regulations begin with general provisions and definitions of main concepts. The following describes instructions for customers on how they can file complaints. The key point in the regulations is the algorithm itself for considering complaints.

Sample regulations for handling customer complaints

Having familiarized yourself with its contents, you can be convinced that the main thing in the text is the procedure for filing complaints and the procedure for their consideration.

Regarding the appeal instructions, it is indicated that the notice is drawn up in writing. It is possible to write an application through email or voice - by telephone. The message must not be anonymous. It contains either the full name for individual, or name for a legal entity. The address for feedback is also mentioned. Buyers are asked to describe the problem in as much detail as possible.

In the order of consideration, it is written down who is responsible and how much time is available to resolve the issue that has arisen. A written response must be provided to the consumer.

Algorithm for handling customer complaints and claims

In different companies, the procedure for dealing with customer complaints may partially differ, but in general it is similar. The request will be received by the person in charge the next day at the latest. The application must be registered in the Application Log. Next, an investigation is ordered with the participation of company employees.

After this, a reasoned response is prepared for the complainant. The entire procedure takes about five to ten days. The result of the review must also be entered into the Journal. After this, the response is signed by the manager and sent to the client.

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Customer dissatisfaction can extend to service, the actions of company employees, and the quality of services and products. In each case, it is necessary to understand how to deal with customer complaints.

You should not be afraid of complaints from customers - after all, they indicate shortcomings of the company and opportunities for further progress.

A complaint is a client's request for a response to a specific situation. First of all, the complaint confirms the client’s desire to communicate his dissatisfaction or the cause of his grievance.

Since expanding the circle of customers depends precisely on the loyalty of current consumers, with the correct organization of work with their incoming complaints, you can achieve progress for your company and increase the loyalty of the target audience, with a stable increase in income.

At the same time, if a justified complaint is left unattended, the company loses not only one client, but also his friends.

Customer dissatisfaction suggests the right path for development

Of course, resolving situations with dissatisfied customers is additional work, but with a competent approach, working on mistakes is a serious resource, a path to company growth: to improving the quality of services, to expanding the range.

The main algorithm for dealing with customer complaints

We suggest we work with customer complaints following this algorithm:

we accept the claim;
give a primary answer;
if it is not enough to resolve the issue, we register the received appeal;
we find out the situation;
we formulate a response to the client;
respond to customer complaints;
We formulate a corrective action plan.

How to accept complaints and respond to customer complaints?

It is necessary that each employee be able to quickly respond to a complaint. In any case, it is important to be polite, friendly and determined to resolve the issue.

Primary response

It is important that the first response to a claim occurs as quickly as possible. In immediate response to a complaint, you must give a positive response that will reassure the client. If the problem can be solved immediately, it must be done. If it requires elaboration, you need to “take a break” by giving the client a deadline within which you can respond. It is important that the second contact on this issue takes place no later than the deadline you specified. Only in this case will the client be confident in the care of the company.

There are complaints that do not require analysis in the company, but there are also those that require careful discussion in the team and decision-making.

Registration of received appeal

All received claims must be recorded. This function is performed by the administrator, client manager, manager, quality director or marketing specialist, or other person who is responsible for this in the organization.

Complaints are recorded in order to identify the most sure ways eliminating deficiencies in work and services.

Clarifying the situation, understanding the reasons for the complaint

The company representative responsible for quality processes the received complaint.

First of all, you need to find out the situation: find out the opinion of the client, the opinion of the employee who accepted the complaint, as well as the employee whose work it relates to.

Then you need to determine whether the claim is justified.

In cases where the employee or company is not to blame for the problem that has arisen, you need to understand that a complaint is a request for communication. Don’t leave the client with your problem, try to offer him a way out of this situation. Be polite and friendly.

If the complaint is justified, formulate a response for the client.

Formation of a response to the client, resolution of the situation

If guilt is revealed on the part of employees, you need to provide the client with an apology, getting rid of the identified shortcomings. Experience confirms that it is better to get rid of minor claims first, and only then identify the causes and culprits of the failure in the company’s work and take punitive measures.

So, we will need measures to eliminate customer dissatisfaction. If you need to apologize, figure out how, in addition to verbal communication, you can level the situation using your own resources. If you need to apologize from the company, offer the client an additional service for free or even a course of services if necessary to correct the technician’s mistake. If the problem is not related to a specific service performed incorrectly, you can offer him to undergo a new procedure that the client has not used before. To do this, before making a decision, you must study the client’s card, determine his preferences and offer a service that he might like. Thus, for you it will be akin to an individual promotion and, perhaps, in the future the guest will expand the range of selected services.

When resolving the situation, it is also necessary to determine whether the proposed measures suit the client and whether he is satisfied with the proposed solution.

Formation of a corrective action plan

At the next stage, it is necessary to understand the causes of this problem, directly eliminating them and other identified shortcomings in the provision of services.

Actions should be planned to improve work processes to prevent similar problems in the future.

When discussing complaints regularly, it is necessary to consider their essence. This will allow you to identify any common problems that require one solution, as well as determine an action plan.

You should also not forget to pay attention to how quickly the problems were resolved.

Well-established feedback

In today's competitive environment, reliable and stable customer feedback is necessary.

There are clients who are not comfortable speaking or complaining out loud, especially if it is a complaint against a third party (for example, telling the administrator something about what they didn’t like about the work of the master). For such clients, it is very important to make printed questionnaires in which they can tick or state the essence of the complaint in the window provided for this purpose.

However, it is also necessary to teach your employees to listen to guests and engage them in conversation. They also need to understand how to respond to customer complaints and what quick solutions are available to them. It is important to convey to the staff that complaints or comments are a normal occurrence in the work of any organization, and active work with clients will help improve the company’s work and show concern for consumers, which they will definitely appreciate

RULES FOR WORKING WITH COMPLAINTS

1. Give thanks.
2. Explain why you are grateful.
3. Apologize for the mistake you made.
4. Promise to take immediate action to eliminate it.
5. Get the information you need.
6. Correct the error quickly.
7. Check if the client is satisfied.
8. Do everything to prevent similar mistakes in the future.

1. THANK YOU.

Whenever you listen to a complaint, the first word you say should be: “Thank you!” – regardless of the nature of the complaint and who your client is.
Remember that the customer who comes with a complaint is your friend. He is doing you and your organization a favor, i.e. provides an opportunity to develop, improve quality, and maybe even survive in a fiercely competitive environment.

2. EXPLAIN WHY YOU ARE GRATEFUL FOR THE COMPLAINT.

Saying “Thank you” is not enough.
Saying “Thank you” without any explanation can sound like a meaningless, taped cliché.
Therefore, you need to explain why you are grateful for the complaint. For example, you could say, “Thank you, I really appreciate you pointing out my mistake. This gives me the opportunity to fix it."
“Thank you, your complaint gives us an opportunity to improve our performance.”
When giving explanations, maintain a sense of dignity.

3. APOLOGIZE.

Be sure to apologize, regardless of whether a mistake was made:
-you;
-one of your colleagues;
-your boss;
- subordinates;
Apologize even when the complaint is not justified or there was some kind of misunderstanding. But don't try to explain who made the mistake.

4. PROMISE TO TAKE ACTION IMMEDIATELY.

Assure the client that you will take the necessary action immediately. Do this regardless of whether you or someone else is handling the complaint.

5. GET THE INFORMATION YOU NEED.

Now you can ask for the information you need to resolve the error. For example, you could say: “Could you help me with information that will help me quickly fix the error...”
Make sure that your questions do not seem like an “interrogation” to the client.

6. CORRECT THE ERROR. DO IT QUICKLY.

7. CHECK IF THE CLIENT IS SATISFIED.

It is not enough to simply correct the error; you must also ensure that the customer is happy with how his/her issue was resolved.

8. PREVENT MISTAKES REPEATING

Analyze the complaint:
-Why was the client unhappy?
-What was wrong?
-What caused the error?
Treat the cause of the error, not the symptom. Take steps to prevent mistakes and reduce the risk of them happening again.

Ready-made documents, Power Point presentations

Working with conflicts and complaints is of particular relevance today. Firstly, during an economic crisis, stores have to fight for every customer and his wallet. Therefore, it is very important for the manager to understand how customers feel about the store and what needs to be urgently corrected. Secondly, the problem of low qualifications of line personnel - people who come into contact with customers - has become very acute. Including change national composition trade workers - this is a problem that we can no longer turn a blind eye to; we need to develop new management methods. In this article we will tell you how to effectively organize the process of working with dissatisfied customers.

Complaints and conflicts as a source of marketing information

They often say, “Don’t be afraid of a screaming client, be afraid of a silent client.” It is very important for management to receive information from consumers in a timely manner: this helps to timely identify errors in the work of store personnel, as well as uncover facts of abuse or theft of personnel, diagnose and potentially correct dangerous situation. By paying close attention to the consumer, the level of satisfaction and the possibility of repeat purchases increases. Therefore, complaints cannot be brushed aside, but on the contrary, they must be perceived as an important source of marketing information.

Let's give an example. Even during the times of the dominance of analog photography, the network of photo salons noted a decrease in sales at a number of outlets, and in one outlet, the sale of developing and printing services dropped almost to the baseboard. Marketers linked this fact to the spread digital photography and were already preparing a new assortment, but then one of the managers of the central office decided to visit this outlet. And many interesting things emerged related to the activities of one particular seller. He adhered to the belief that life is given once, and “one must live it in such a way that it does not cause excruciating pain for the years spent aimlessly.” The employee discovered that in the neighborhood there were lingerie, perfume and jewelry stores with pretty saleswomen and preferred to communicate with them rather than with annoying customers. The sign “Technical break 10 minutes” hung on the door for at least a third of the working day, and he could slam the window right in front of the customer’s nose and often shouted “Don’t get in line, we’re closing now!” Then he decided to “optimize” the work by not giving out free photo albums as a gift, and some clients, at equal prices, chose this item precisely because of the albums. It is not surprising that during the work of this “hero”, customers got used to the fact that it was not worth going to this point, and began to look for others. Many dissatisfied customers (and especially those who were hit on the nose by the closed kiosk window) would be happy to report the seller’s exploits to management - if they knew how to contact him. After all, the first thing the seller did was remove the sign with management phone numbers.

From the very beginning, when choosing “where to buy and how to buy,” the consumer begins to form his attitude towards stores. This attitude is formed on the basis of various information: media reports, the opinions of others, the buyer’s own emotions. Buyers especially trust the unbiased opinion of friends, acquaintances or simply people standing on the same side of the counter with them. Shustov’s promotion method, which is more than a hundred years old, is still in use among product manufacturers. Let us remember that the basis of this method was precisely the conflict in the store: at first, students were recruited into the promoter teams, who asked for Shustov cognac in the store, and when it was not in stock, they began to be loudly indignant. The second wave of promotion was aimed at the HoReCa sector, and at the tables of expensive restaurants, handsome gentlemen, having ordered caviar, trout and truffles and having learned that there was no Shustov cognac on the menu, threw a napkin with the words: “I will never set foot in this eatery again!” The promotion was aimed mainly at merchants, but it also had an effect on end consumers and became a shining example pull strategies. Food stores and household appliances who have private brands and try to promote them, often use the “honest seller” technique to switch the buyer’s attention from the selected product to another, more profitable one for the store: “I understand that I shouldn’t tell you this, because all our products are of high quality... But I admit that this sausage (vacuum cleaner, player) is not very good... Take it better (another brand is called).” In the question of where and what Not buy, and with which partner Not deal, people listen much more seriously to the opinions of others. Thus, buyers have “black lists” of suppliers, while realtors and shopping center managers have “black lists” of tenants. It is believed that a satisfied customer shares his opinion with, on average, three people, a very satisfied one - with nine. A dissatisfied person, on average, notifies nine people, in case of strong dissatisfaction - twenty-seven, and if he was very much offended, he can take revenge long and persistently, causing a discussion in the media or the Internet. According to numerous studies (including those conducted by our company), consumers are vindictive: they remember their disappointment and dissatisfaction well, most remember both the brand of the product and the name of the store, despite the fact that sad incidents occurred many years ago . A certain belief is formed and spread, and it is extremely difficult to change this belief with the help of advertising and new arguments. All this forces companies to be more attentive to organizing the flow of critical information. The right conclusions can often significantly reduce the cost of studying consumer opinions.

Customers' attitude towards quality in the store

According to American researchers, approximately 20 to 50% of consumers experience dissatisfaction with a product or service, on average about a third. Basically, the consumer's reaction to dissatisfaction can be expressed in a loss of trust in the company or brand, changing the brand in subsequent purchases. More than half of those complaining share their experiences with friends and relatives, only 5% of complaints are addressed to manufacturers, and about 23-40% of complaints are made to retailers.

Consumer satisfaction, as the theory goes, is a positive evaluation of the chosen alternative, confirmation that the choice (store, product, brand) meets or exceeds expectations. When forming an assessment, the expectation most often arises of the category of “expected quality” - the one that the buyer wants to receive (R. Oliver). A simple confirmation that the level of quality corresponds to the expected level is taken for granted, that is, it causes a neutral assessment. The assessment of the level of quality consists of the characteristics of the store (interior, assortment and prices, information in the store, accuracy and politeness of sellers, speed of service, etc.) and the general image of the outlet. Image is very closely related to the concept of “price - quality” and determines the expected quality - for example, it is assumed that in a well-known chain in the “medium plus” segment, goods and service will be at a high level, and the buyer does not have high demands on discounters or markets. Most of the complaints are related to disappointed expectations. When buying an expensive product, the buyer very often has inflated expectations regarding its quality (shampoo, which is 3 times more expensive, should make the hair shine 3 times more), and having saved up money for a large and expensive item (a furniture set, a refrigerator or a car), Many customers sincerely believe that a carpet will be laid out in front of them in the store. Speaking about the price-quality ratio, we note that by quality we mean not only physical characteristics, but also pleasure, for example, the atmosphere of a themed restaurant. And satisfaction is also influenced by the “size-quality” relationship: the portion size and composition of the dish in a cafe or food court, the time of skating at an ice rink or attraction, the size of the halls and swimming pool in the fitness center.

During a crisis, the attitude of buyers towards quality changes: money is given with great difficulty, and the buyer wants to spend it more rationally. Today, some companies are overly concerned with cutting costs, and the result is a decrease in the quality of service. But when cutting costs in a retail environment, you need to be clear about the problems that may arise and know how to solve those problems. Yes, in the short term you can increase profits if you reduce the cost of purchases, buy lower-quality goods, reduce the range, reduce the quality of service, or hire “cheaper” personnel. And at the same time raise prices. But then everything will collapse - the number of visitors, the average bill, i.e. all indicators that form profit. Not to mention loyalty... If you get too carried away with cutting costs, you may not achieve the same operational efficiency that Aldi or other discounters have, but turn into a typical “soviet” store.

The challenge of maintaining adequate levels of service becomes increasingly important as the number of foreign workers in trade increases. According to unofficial estimates, the number of store workers who came from other countries at the end of 2009 was twice the total number of employees in retail trade in 2001! After the closure of a number of food and clothing markets and the introduction of legislative restrictions on the use of foreign labor in markets, personnel from there rushed to chain and non-chain stores. In quite decent stores you can now find the inscriptions “SWEET OPELSINI” and “ASTOROSHNA, AS GREAT AS THE POLE.” Imagine yourself in the buyer’s shoes: the navigation in the store is bad, the goods are not laid out, there are no price tags, and there is not a single employee in the entire sales area with whom you can fully communicate in Russian. How will the buyer perceive this “quality”? First and foremost, store and chain managers should focus on improving navigation and visual references for customers. Standards for store personnel should also contain less text and more visual materials - diagrams, pictograms. Secondly, strengthen control, make it more regular and strict. And thirdly, store managers today need to be trained in special programs so that they can effectively manage teams consisting mainly of foreigners (or even mononational work teams). A competent manager must take into account the psychological and cultural characteristics people of different nationalities, influencing how the employee behaves and communicates with customers, what motivates him, etc. Such specialists will be in great demand on the market in the near future.

Will a dissatisfied customer complain?

It depends on the following points:

How significant were the unpleasant event and its consequences for the buyer. For example, tile adhesive was needed right now, it turned out to be bad, and the tiler had already taken the next order and could only return to finish the job in two weeks. Or a connection with emotional events - for spoiled pickled cucumbers that were bought for the wedding table, and the corresponding shame in front of the guests, the buyer will be much more offended than in an ordinary situation.
How well the buyer is familiar with the product (has already bought it, has experience using it or not).
Does the buyer have experience voicing complaints?
How does the buyer assess the likelihood that the complaint will lead to any outcome.
How difficult will be the procedure for exchanging, returning goods or receiving compensation? Buyers with higher incomes prefer to “leave the English way” and not even exchange a low-quality product if it is inexpensive (for each income level, “inexpensive” is understood differently), but simply throw it away. Or not to return to the store, but to give away for free to others things that they no longer liked or, after careful fitting, turned out to be the wrong size. Sometimes a buyer absent-mindedly takes an item that does not have a price tag, discovers at the checkout that it costs many times more than it seemed, and a simple return procedure turns into a whole problem: you have to wait at the counter for at least fifteen minutes, then you have to write a statement, present it documents... And even the store employee looks disapprovingly, expressing with all his appearance: “What a harmful, petty person you are, I don’t envy your wife. And in general, if you don’t have money, there’s no point in going to decent stores..."

Returns and compensation: blackmail or justified demands?

From the very beginning, customers who are not just complaining, but demanding compensation, must be divided into two groups: “blackmailers” and “really offended”. Very often “blackmailers” - low-income consumers who want to receive greater compensation: “I bought curd mass with raisins from you, and there are iron filings in it, if you don’t give me a box for free, I’ll tell all my neighbors what kind of product you’re foisting on people!” Or: “We bought wallpaper glue from you, but it was of poor quality; we want ten more cans as compensation for the damaged wallpaper. Otherwise, we’ll tell all the builders we know not to set foot in your door again!” There are also lovers of “freebies”: “Your store has dirt and cockroaches, and if you don’t give me this carbonate for free (which I really want, but don’t have enough money), then I’ll go straight to the sanitary and epidemiological station!” In the late 90s, the following blackmail technique was widespread: a bottle of purchased vodka was drunk right on the sales floor, after which the buyer fell to the floor shouting: “Fake! Poison! Money back and also compensation for treatment!” In many cases, frightened saleswomen gave out at least a check for free. In a nearby store, a double portion of snacks was “purchased” in the same way.

The possibility of returning goods can increase sales, and this was described back in the 19th century in Emile Zola's novel Ladies' Happiness: “Mouret penetrated even deeper into the female heart by inventing a system of returning goods - this masterpiece of Jesuit seduction. Take it, madam, you will return this thing to us if you no longer like it. And the woman who had hitherto resisted now bought with a clear conscience, finding justification in the fact that she could give up her recklessness.” In the USA you can even return used trousers or half-used packaging. ground coffee because I didn't like the product. The merchant’s calculation is based on statistics: most buyers will not return the goods, in fact using the store as a free rental point, or will simply prefer to put the item they don’t like on the mezzanine. In addition, in the USA and countries Western Europe Traders have at their disposal a database of statistics on credit cards, and it is easy to track how much the buyer takes and how much he returns. If the buyer has made purchases for a large amount, the store employee takes back the worn trousers with a smile and wishes for new successful purchases, that is, spending. And malicious “returners” may be turned away - or advised to continue buying from competitors who are able to more thoroughly satisfy their demand. In Russia, most purchases are made in cash, and although assistance in maintaining statistics is provided discount cards and loans, a database of “returners” is much more difficult to form.

The methods of working with “blackmailers” and the “truly offended” are different. In many detective series and books, their characters - police officers, private investigators and lawyers - give their clients the following advice: “You cannot give in to a blackmailer. By giving in once, you only whet his appetite, and he will have to pay again and again.” Having issued a refund to the “blackmailer”, the store in the vast majority of cases will not stop the flow of the promised negative information. Even if compensation is received, the buyer will continue to talk picturesquely about iron filings in cottage cheese, poisoned vodka and spoiled glue, only briefly mentioning refunds and store gifts. In 2009, when the financial crisis caused an increase in unemployment and a decrease in consumer income, many stores noted an increase in the number of “blackmailers” and people wanting to get something for free. If the buyer is not a “blackmailer,” satisfying his demands, as well as compensation and a gift, is quite possible. This is determined in each case by management, taking into account the “price” of possible consequences - direct losses and costs (for example, legal fees, informal costs associated with inspections, costs of resolving a scandal in the media), losses for the store’s image, as well as possible lost sales . A good solution is a discount on future purchases. Many customers, even after receiving compensation and a gift, still stop going to the store, and in the case of a discount for the future, the likelihood that they will come again increases.

What does the customer want to achieve as a result of the complaint?

Chat and have fun arguing. There is a group of consumers who view the complaint process as communication and specifically go to the store (or call the manufacturer’s quality department) to argue. Usually these are people who have a lot of free time and little money. The scandal in the store compensates them for the pleasure of the shopping process, and in terms of impressions it is equivalent to watching another episode of a soap opera. They often don’t need financial compensation; for some, it’s enough just to let off steam in the store, while others will continue to communicate and call and write to various authorities and the media.

Some buyers, if they have been poorly served, want to “put the saleswoman in her place and show whose big shots are in the forest.” A real-life incident: a customer felt that she was not given enough attention in a shoe store. Believing that “revenge is a dish that should be served cold,” the customer came to the store a few days later in her best fur coat, expensive boots and a full arsenal of gold jewelry. Having found that same saleswoman, the customer tortured her for two hours: she forced her to bring various models, help her try on, so that the saleswoman would literally kneel in front of her. And, of course, I didn’t buy anything! The buyer later recounted this whole story with pleasure, savoring the details, to her friends and even unfamiliar people.

How should store employees act in such situations? The most important thing is that the seller must take the initiative in his own hands in a timely manner, not follow the buyer’s lead, and politely but firmly direct the conversation in a specific direction. If the seller cannot cope, then a more experienced colleague should come to the rescue.

Achieve punishment for the perpetrators. This group of complaining customers may not be seeking compensation either. It is simply important for them to get to management and express their complaints to a person who can find justice for a lazy, rude or indifferent seller who has caused offense. Such buyers are ready to waste their time waiting for the director or higher-ups, calling or writing to the central office of the network. Another real example.
Buyer complaint:
“Dear XXX (the last and first name of the director is asked from the seller or taken from the information stand for buyers). I came on November __, 200_ with the goal of purchasing ___. Unfortunately, sales consultant Alisa (last name unknown), instead of finding out my needs in detail and finding an opportunity to satisfy the desires of such an important customer like me, brought down on me a list of your difficulties and limitations. She did not offer me any options to satisfy my request. To my surprise, Alice did not apologize for this reception and did not change her manner of conversation. I considered your network well-known and highly professional. It's a pity that such people work for you. I will never come to your stores again, you have lost me as a customer, and I will also try to convey my opinion about your sellers to my friends and colleagues. Declare “gratitude” to your seller Alice for this.”
This is a cry for vengeance. What the customer really wants to say is: “Punish this terrible saleswoman! Let deprivation and suffering befall her during the minutes of my humiliation, let her be fired from an expensive boutique, and let her go to sell at a station kiosk, where she will have to wear woolen socks and a rough padded jacket! Usually the complaint is lengthy, and it certainly mentions what losses the store will suffer if it loses such an important customer. In car dealerships, where the product is by definition expensive and important, customers who are dissatisfied with the service or the manager’s inattention sometimes send letters with the following content:
“I came to you to buy ___ (here the brand of an expensive SUV or executive car is indicated, although in reality the buyer could be interested in a modest compact car), but due to poor service I made a purchase from your competitors. And your manager Vasya Kurochkin is to blame for this!!!”

Dissatisfied customer causes a scandal in the store .

The satisfaction of such a buyer will come if he is confident that the offending seller has been properly punished. Sometimes only the very fact that the buyer’s issue is given sufficient attention On the part of management, having their concerns listened to and shared can make a big difference. Even if no action is taken on this issue, the dissatisfied customer is already partly satisfied. He (or she) nods contentedly if he is informed of punishment, even if in reality it will not follow: “Thank you very much for drawing our attention to this issue. Of course, for such a serious act we will fire her. Don't worry". Attempts to run and avoid unpleasant communication or, conversely, to discover the buyer’s guilt and go on the attack, can bring the problem to a critical state - as the Eastern proverb says, “If a mouse is driven into a corner, it will become like a tiger.” The appearance of negative information on the Internet (in chat rooms, blogs and other resources) is already an extreme degree of offense. Even if store employees were able to justify themselves to management, they are in any case to blame for the fact that they behaved incorrectly in a conflict situation, failed to cope with a complaint, or simply did not pay attention to the buyer.

If the buyer is “out for blood,” you need to call management at any level. If the customer is middle-aged or older, you can call an employee close to her in age so that the customer can communicate with her more freely (“Well, what can we take from these young people, they have the wind in their heads, but you and I understand each other”). Often, negativity arises when a couple comes to a store (for example, a furniture store, household appliance store), and the young saleswoman begins to flirt with the man. She refers to him as a “wallet” - the person who makes the decision and finances the purchase, or generally frankly wants to please and make an acquaintance. Naturally, the buyer's companion becomes indignant. In this case, to resolve the conflict, it is better to invite a male employee, and if there are none, then at least an older and less attractive woman.

In any case, the buyer must be sure that he is communicating with a real manager. Large stores place a stand with photographs of responsible employees so that the buyer can recognize them by sight or simply note who they can contact if necessary. This increases trust. Smaller retail outlets are sometimes placed on a stand mobile phone manager (this may be the number of the real manager or a special complaint officer). In one network in Yekaterinburg, the position of the employee at the stand changed several times: few people wanted to call a manager of low rank. Only after they wrote that he personally takes calls CEO networks, the handling of complaints has improved significantly. The Bim grocery chain in Moscow noticed that when calls from offended customers were received by the store director, there were no cases of subsequent appeals to the inspection authorities. It was enough for buyers that the “most important boss” listened to them.

A sign with the director's phone number.

Exchange, return goods. Since this requirement is absolutely legal, all actions of the merchant are regulated by current legislation. At the same time, it is important to try to turn negative into positive in the communication process. When returning or exchanging a defective product, the buyer can talk loudly and for a long time about this very defect. Therefore, in order to maintain the company’s image, it is necessary to note that mistakes can happen to everyone, but not everyone is able to correct them in time.
Just get something for free.
Receive compensation for damage, including moral damage. IN Lately Cases are becoming more frequent when “enterprising” people and no less enterprising consumer rights lawyers want to take advantage of the situation and take as much as they can from a rich trading network. If the buyer wants compensation in material form, then he must be classified as a “blackmailer” or “truly offended” and continue to act as discussed above.
Fulfill someone's order on black PR" and publicly disgrace the store or product of any manufacturer. The earliest known historical example of the use of “black PR” in trade is the horror stories about “black Africa”, which were distributed by traders of ancient Carthage. The Carthaginians wanted to maintain a monopoly on trade in African products that were mined and produced south of the Sahara - ivory, ebony and mahogany, gold dust - and on long years discourage European traders from sailing to the equator. For this purpose, all sorts of fables were invented and told about the dangers that await travelers: about unusually ferocious crocodiles and lions, evil cannibal residents with one eye in their forehead, about natural disasters, for example, that the sun in Africa rises so high that The water off the coast boils, swallows ships, and people are boiled alive. Then European merchants borrowed the style of denigrating their competitors, exaggerating their real vices and attributing fictitious vices. “Black PR” was used to limit the sale of goods and to protect the merchant’s territory or position. In domestic trade these days, the problem is especially typical for trade sectors where there is a socially significant component, and “black PR” is more often found in stores and departments of alcoholic beverages, pharmacies, and children's goods stores. Social negativity, supposedly coming from dissatisfied customers, is used to denigrate a competitor (a chain of stores or a manufacturer) and attract media attention. And just give journalists a reason plus a little more money... For example, in 2003 in Izhevsk, two distilleries zealously fought for market share, and one of the competitors carried out the following “promotion”: in stores near the company stand with the competitor’s products A homeless-looking, dirty guy stood there and with a drunken smile, showing the absence of his front teeth, told customers: “And I really love this vodka!” What followed was a story about how he came to this life, and how a certain brand of vodka helped him in this... A buyer showed up at another store in the Moscow region with a household alcohol meter and, having paid for a bottle of tincture of a local distillery in the counter department, immediately opened it and produced froze and made a noise: “You’re selling diluted alcohol!” The store director contacted representatives of the plant, and the distillery management urgently arrived at the store. In order to quell the scandal, we had to invite an amateur to carry out tests and several other buyers to the plant, take a tour of the workshops and make sure that the quality of alcoholic products was properly controlled. It turned out that the buyer's alcohol meter was simply faulty...

“Black PR” is not neglected when competitors enter or compete for market share, and most famous example with alcohol is “product placement” in incident reports, when a bottle of a certain brand of vodka appears in the frame against the backdrop of a burnt house or a wrecked car. In Novosibirsk in 2001-2004. (during the period of active competition between local producers), newspapers quite often cited this confession former employee quality control department, who retired and, unable to bear the mental anguish, decided to finally tell the “truth”, then touching letters from readers in women's magazines. The story of a certain Marya Ivanovna: “Until the age of 45, I was lonely and had already lost hope of finding a family, but a holiday came to my street - I finally met a good man. I invited him to visit, set a rich table and thought that that evening everything would be decided for us. But I just made a mistake - I bought vodka “X”. He drank, he felt really bad, and he said: “You’re a fool, Masha, a bad housewife, since you buy all sorts of rubbish. He left and never returned. My whole life is ruined...” It happens that several manufacturers join forces and try to protect an entire industry, which is observed in the light industry, where domestic manufacturers are fighting Chinese goods. Perhaps some readers remember the story of poisoned children's hats that was widely discussed among the masses. As noted above, the bulk of the negativity falls on retail trade.

Once store employees have determined what type of complainant a particular customer is and what they want to achieve, it is important to begin dealing with that complaint effectively.

Why store employees do a poor job handling complaints.

Chinese general Sun Tzu taught: “A victorious army first realizes the conditions of victory and then seeks battle; a losing army fights first and then seeks victory,” so options for various cases of grievances and conflicts must be worked out in advance. The behavior of employees in stores where a conflict arises, and subsequently in the office where complaints are resolved, is not always correct. Reasons for this:

An employee (or a group of employees) wants to hide their bad work, flaws or theft from their superiors: they shield each other, hush up problems. Mutual responsibility is especially common in those stores where a group of fellow countrymen work;
The employee tries to avoid responsibility by shifting the blame to the buyer or his colleagues;
The employee takes a defensive position, does not listen to the buyer, but contradicts him;
The employee does not want to get involved in a conflict and simply avoids communicating with the dissatisfied customer;
The employee is not competent enough and cannot understand the problem, much less solve it;
The employee does not want to waste time and effort investigating complaints.

In order for the buyer not to move from irritation to rage, and the conflict to flare up more, sales floor employees need to remember what not to do:

Argue, and especially convince the buyer that “We are white and fluffy, and it’s your own fault.” Example: a client who purchased a car at a branded car dealership receives a call from the manager of the quality department a week after the purchase and asks how he was served and whether he is satisfied with everything. The client unleashes a stream of complaints: “The sales consultant was incompetent, I had to wait a long time all the time, the cafe is not open after 18-00, I sat there hungry. And when the ordered car arrived, they took us to the parking lot to look at it, where new cars and broken ones stood mixed together (the showroom and the branded car service center were in the same building). And my wife, who also bought a car from you a year ago, was never sent congratulations from your company, although competitors were bombarded with advertisements and called.” Manager’s response: “Well, what are you talking about, this can’t happen here! I assure you, you are the first to say such things.” After hanging up, the client will be left with the opinion that the service was bad - they listened half-heartedly, found out nothing and, most likely, did not write anything down. Given the situation with cars, which was in 2007-2008, such maintenance might not have had any effect on sales. And now, when sales have fallen by more than 2 times, and experts have announced that car companies will reach the sales level of 2007 in 7 years, car dealership employees really had to become “white and fluffy”...
Immediately classify the buyer as a fool, brawler, or crazy. And look at him accordingly, whispering or exchanging knowing glances with colleagues and other customers. It is also extremely undesirable to tell the buyer: “Just don’t be nervous, calm down, pull yourself together.” Psychologists believe that after such phrases, the emotionality of the conversation, on the contrary, will increase.
Make excuses. “You understand, well, maybe the saleswoman wasn’t feeling well, maybe she had problems in her family. That’s why I couldn’t resist.” Sometimes this helps, but in most cases the buyer will answer: “I don’t understand and don’t want to understand! Everyone has problems, but they work, they don’t buzz... When I come to the store, I want them to smile and serve me quickly.”
Use the “change of investigator” technique known in the days of the NKVD, when the person under investigation had to express his question to different people several times.
Making hasty promises that are obviously unfulfillable.

When communicating with a buyer, and especially with a dissatisfied one, it is necessary to accurately use the language, taking into account the level of intelligence of the interlocutor: the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius said that it is necessary to speak with everyone in a language that he understands. Communications experts note several important points. Firstly, excessive use of professional slang can cause dissatisfaction. The fact that words used in everyday communication are better understood is confirmed by psycholinguistics, the science that studies the perception of speech and reactions to it. Secondly, you should avoid negative words, as they are highly memorable. Some people have a bad attitude towards “debtor” words, and after “You owe” an explosion may follow: “We don’t owe you anything, we paid for the goods, so please sort it out!...” The likelihood of misunderstanding is higher when using the passive voice. But sometimes the passive voice is used specifically to soften the admission of guilt (remember the popular example: “I threw my grandmother off the roof” and “The grandmother was thrown off the roof by me” - it’s as if she fell herself). Thirdly, excessive bureaucracy, an impersonal and standard response to complaints also causes irritation; it is perceived as being ignored, dismissed or unsubscribed.

Stages of dealing with a dissatisfied customer

It is important that the complaint does not develop into a major scandal in which many store employees and other customers will be involved. Let us highlight the stages of handling complaints:

Stage 0 - Identifying the first signs of dissatisfaction. For example, dissatisfaction with queues at self-service checkouts and slow service can be judged by the number of abandoned carts with goods. In the queue itself, there are three stages of impatience. The first stage is characterized by tense silence, people shift from foot to foot and lean on the cart. At the next stage, people begin to quietly mutter under their breath, and if they came as a family or a group, they exchange opinions, but so far only with people they know: “Well, here we are again, it would have been better to buy it at the kiosk,” “Some kind of slow This cashier is probably on her first day at work,” “What is it, something broke again, or what?” In the third stage, the situation heats up and buyers begin to communicate with each other. The bravest ones wave their arms, shout insults or loudly call for the administrator, and the quickest ones will try to get into this or another cash register without queuing. Disorder ensues, and it becomes difficult for the lingering cashier to keep track of people, money and goods. Therefore, it is advisable to take control of the situation before the first signs of open discontent.

The situation in the checkout area must be kept under control
before the first signs of customer dissatisfaction appear.

Stage 1 - If there is a threat of a scandal, it is necessary to remove the buyer from the sales floor as quickly as possible. When the conversation in a raised voice is heard by others, the topic can then spread, becoming surrounded by rumors (as they say, “either he stole, or it was stolen from him,” but in any case, something is wrong in the store). Some customers will be happy to join in and begin to voice their complaints about the store. It is best to take the buyer to the office of one of the managers, and if the store has limited non-trading space, at least to the corridor or to the far corner of the sales floor.
Stage 2 - Choose - resolve the issue yourself or transfer the dissatisfied customer to a more experienced colleague or senior seller. In a number of networks, sellers do not have to resolve the issue, and the administrator (or manager) of the trading floor is called on stage. Resolving complaints is one of his significant responsibilities. When one employee “transfers” a customer to another, he must make sure to explain the essence of the issue to his colleague. The new employee should approach the customer with the words: “As far as I understand, the following happened. I will tell you what was conveyed to me, if you notice any inaccuracies, please correct them.” Thus, it immediately becomes clear to the buyer that attention is being paid to him.
Stage 3 - Find out the reason for the complaint, determine exactly what happened. Listen carefully, without interrupting, noting important information(what, where, when, which of the store employees) and try to separate the buyer’s emotions from the facts. Everything needs to be written down, even if you understand and remember everything perfectly. If the problem is immediately visible, and the store employee has instructions on what to do, then it is better not to delay resolving the issue. The most common cases should be described in the standards section.
Stage 4 - When the situation is atypical and the store employee does not have the authority to make a decision, or the facts require verification, it is imperative to apologize (in any case), thank the buyer and inform the possible time frame for management’s response.
Stage 5 - After all the facts are recorded, they must be checked and the satisfaction appropriate to the case must be selected. And before making a final decision, once again weigh the possible Negative consequences, because in some cases, saving or a hasty decision can lead to large losses.

At the company's central office, the process of managing complaints and claims can be organized in different ways. The first option: the secretary receives all calls and letters and forwards them to a specific department or person. The main disadvantages of this scheme are the constant “footballing” of the client, plus the loss and distortion of information when transferring it from one employee to another. Considering that with each transfer of information at least 10% is lost, it is not surprising that a complaint that is forwarded, and even half-forgotten during the consideration period, often leaves employees bewildered. Another disadvantage is the diffusion of responsibility, the absence of a person responsible for making decisions. In another scheme, complaints are received by some department - trade organization, marketing, control. But employees of these departments may not have complete information, as well as the time and skills to work with a dissatisfied client. Uncertainty and vague promises (“I don’t even know, I’ll try”, “call tomorrow - well, better yet never”), of course, are perceived negatively. But the situation is even worse when an employee, under time pressure, resolves issues that go beyond the level of his competence. The following scheme can be quite effective: the company has a coordinator to whom all complaints flow. The coordinator “manages the complaint,” communicates with the client and himself contacts the necessary departments, depending on the reason for the complaints and claims. The same employee keeps statistics and classifies complaints: how many of them were related to the quality of the product (including a specific supplier), customer service, payment for the product, failure to provide additional services, improper execution of documents for corporate clients. The employee responsible for handling complaints should report directly to the manager and be able to contact him directly in an emergency situation.

Considering the growing role of the Internet, as well as the fact that it is used by the most interesting groups of consumers for trading - young people who have a whole shopping history ahead of them, and middle-aged people who already earn well and spend a lot - it is very important to study information on various Internet sites. resources. These include professional sites, forums, blogs and their possible future analogues. Facts of mentioning the company are identified, and informal communication is also used, which consists of influencing opinion leaders. With the help of competent work in stores and in the central office, you can turn the conflict management system into a way of PR and help increase customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Kira & Ruben Kanayan,

Leading consultants of the company "Union-Standard Consulting", Moscow,
authors of the book " Retail real estate: challenges of time and prospects »,
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