Page 25 - Business English 2_revised 2018

G.READING

Read the following text and and complete the paragraphs with the suitable sentences provided in the box
that follows.

How to handle customer complaints

Customer complaints can be turned into a golden opportunity when they are handled properly:

1. Listen and understand
Always listen to your customers. They have complained for a reason and it is important to understand why they
are complaining. ....................................................................................– Take time to listen and understand what
their problem is. To maintain quality from all support personnel, use a customer service knowledge base.

2. Apologize
Don‟t be afraid to apologize for a mistake. Many customers are simply looking for an apology and
acknowledgement of their complaint, yet so many businesses are hesitant to admit when a mistake has been
made. Don‟t underestimate the importance of an apology: ..................................................................................
In the findings from the study, 45% of customers withdrew their negative evaluation of a company in light of an
apology, whereas only 23% of customers withdrew their negative evaluation in return for compensation.The
researchers concluded that when a customer hears the words “I‟m sorry”, it triggers an immediate instinct to
forgive. But, don‟t just stop at the apology; follow through with a promise to resolve the complaint.

3. Find a solution
When your customer has a legitimate complaint, it needs to be solved. Give your customer service team the
authority to handle the majority of customer complaints to avoid passing your customer onto a series of people
and managers . ...............................................................................................................................................

4. Follow up with the customer
Follow up with your customers to make sure they are satisfied with the solution. This can be in the form of a
follow up email or survey asking for feedback on how the complaint was handled.
.........................................................................................................................................................................

Very few companies follow up with their customers. Following up shows you care. And this makes the customer
feel important.

Page 22 | Business English 2 - Department of Management UMY