No matter how hard you try, customers will find fault with you or your staff. How you handle those complaints will determine your account retention and customer satisfaction rate. Here are three key guidelines to help the cause.
Appreciate the Opportunities Complaints Offer
Complaints can spotlight areas that need improvement in your agency, for example, the timely return of your customer’s phone calls. These complaints give you a second chance to provide the stellar service and satisfaction that you promised during your initial sales presentation. It will also provide you an opportunity to strengthen this customer’s loyalty. The best customer is the one who has had a problem with your agency or their insurance company that you’ve resolved.
Set Guidelines for Handling Complaints
Seek out and welcome complaints. You can’t operate in a vacuum. Input from customers and companies is essential to help your agency keep improving. Take complaints seriously. I'm not talking about the chronic complainer, but the customer who rarely seeks assistance from you or your staff.
Document and classify all complaints, including not only the issue but also the personnel involved. Require all staff members to report every complaint to their manager, supervisor, or the agency owner.
Set goals for resolving complaints. The faster that you can deal with a complaint or a problem presented by your customer, the happier your customer will be. Discuss all complaints at agency meetings. Although it’s not necessary to identify the agency personnel involved, it’s essential that all staff members learn and improve.
Train Staff to Deal with “Moments Of Truth” When Receiving a Complaint
Train all staff members to resolve customer complaints. They should learn to:
- listen with understanding;
- paraphrase and record what the customer tells them;
- find out what the customer wants;
- propose a solution and get the customer’s support;
- make follow-up calls to insure satisfaction;
- never let the customer lose face; and
- if the customer doesn’t like the solution, ask what they would consider fair
Conclusion:
Complaints are not bad unless you ignore them. They will provide you and your agency with an opportunity to improve and, if properly handled, will enhance you in the eyes of your customers.