What is a Complaint?

A complaint occurs when a product or service doesn't meet a customer's expectations, and they contact the seller or provider to fix the issue.
A complaint always relates to a product feature or a specific situation that the complainant finds unsatisfactory.

Example

A customer books a room with a sea view but gets one overlooking the parking lot. The customer then goes to the reception to complain, aiming to get a room that matches their booking.

Attitude

The attitude of the person handling the complaint should always be neutral towards both the complainant and the issue (I'm okay, you're okay).

Figure: 7 Steps of Complaint

Step 1: Active Listening

It's crucial that the complainant feels taken seriously and is given the time they deserve for their issue. The person handling the complaint should let the complainant speak and show active listening by nodding occasionally. This can be emphasized with sounds like "ah", "mmh", "yes", "I see...".
It's important to maintain eye contact with the complainant and repeat the issue after they've finished. This can be introduced with:

"Did I understand you correctly that…?"
Repeating the issue helps clear any emotional tension and brings the conversation back to a more factual level. This calms the complainant and neutralizes the conversation, paving the way for constructive problem-solving.

Step 2: Understand the Perspective

The person handling the complaint should empathize with the complainant to understand their perspective. It's important to show understanding and appreciate the complainant. Never obviously blame the complainant. On the other hand, it's not advisable to take the blame just to calm the complainant and quickly end the situation. Of course, the person handling the complaint should acknowledge and own their fault if they truly are at fault.

Step 3: Ask for Details

The person handling the complaint should ask detailed questions to clarify the issue constructively. The more information they get from the complainant, the quicker and more satisfactorily the complaint can be resolved for both sides. It's important to understand what the customer really wants and gather all necessary information.

"What exactly do you mean by …?"

Step 4: Propose a Solution

Once the complaint handler fully understands the issue, they must propose a solution to the complainant. Common ground should be found on a factual level to reach an agreement. This allows the complaint handler to offer a solution or change that can fix or compensate for the issue.

Step 5: Get Agreement for the Solution

Before implementing the solution, it's important for the complaint handler to get the complainant's agreement. This ensures both sides are happy with the solution.

"Do you agree that…?"

"Do you agree with me that…?"

Step 6: Thank and Say Goodbye

After the issue is constructively resolved for all parties, the complaint handler should politely thank the complainant for bringing up the issue before saying goodbye. This gesture reinforces the service mindset and shows the complainant is valued.

Step 7: Follow Through on the Solution!

Finally, it's essential for the complaint handler to promptly follow through on the solution. This builds trust and shows that complaints are taken seriously and handled quickly. Also, checking back with the customer soon after to see if the complaint was resolved satisfactorily builds trust and shows the customer's opinion matters.