9 Examples of Customer Complaints and How to Handle Them, Most Frequently Occurring!

Mistakes may occur and customer expectations may not be met. As a result, complaints cannot be avoided. However, from the examples of customer complaints and how to handle them in this article, you will see that this is not always a bad thing.
Sometimes, this unfortunate moment actually turns into a great opportunity to show great customer service and win the hearts of customers.


Why Should Customer Complaints Be Handled Seriously?




As mentioned on the Mailchimp page, before the internet was successful, dissatisfied customers might express their dissatisfaction directly or share it with friends and family. However, now, it’s easy for them to write negative reviews online so they can be seen by anyone with an internet connection. That’s why you need to take customer complaints seriously if you don’t want the following bad things to happen.


1. Damaging Reputation
Buyers often trust other people’s opinions and experiences. What’s more, most potential customers will read online reviews first before making a purchase. So, try to imagine what would happen if you didn’t take customer complaints seriously. This could damage your business reputation.


2. Creating Bad Speculation
One negative review can overshadow a dozen positive pieces of feedback you receive. So, so that it doesn’t become an overshadowing, immediately address customer complaints or they will start to associate your company with poor customer service or low-quality products.


3. Makes you lose customers
In turn, customer complaints that are not resolved and shared widely will result in you losing potential customers. Worse yet, they will choose your competitors!


4. Merusak Moral Karyawan
The large number of customer complaints that come in can affect employee morale. How could they not, they might feel negative feelings about their work, such as feeling unappreciated and useless. Sooner or later, this could impact their overall performance.


5. Obscure Good Performance
Because a speck of tilapia spoils the pot of milk. That’s what happens if you don’t take customer complaints seriously. You need to know that some customers will look for negative reviews with one star to ensure they will not regret their decision.


Examples of Customer Complaints and How to Handle Them






Although there are various problems that customers may experience, in general customer complaints can be classified into the following nine categories. This is an example of a customer complaint and how to handle it.


1. Products
Customers are very likely to file complaints if the product they receive has a problem.
Example:
– Customer receives a product that is wrong, damaged, or does not work as promised.

How to handle:
Ask customers to document their complaints so you can determine whether it is the seller’s fault or the customer’s fault for not reading the information carefully.
Ask questions to find the source of the problem. If they use it incorrectly, politely show them how to use it.
If the product is defective, most companies have a policy of replacing the item at no cost or offering the customer a refund.


Also read: Product Innovation: Goals, Benefits, and How to Do It


2. Customer Service
Customers can feel angry if their complaints are not handled properly until they are resolved. Even after they complained to customer service.
Example:
Customers are frustrated because they have to explain the problem repeatedly to different customer service agents, especially if it doesn’t solve the problem.
How to handle:
Make sure that the customer service team gets good training and is equipped with information to handle various problems.
Give them the authority to make decisions and resolve issues on the spot without needing to escalate it to higher management.
Implement a system to track and follow up on customer complaints and ensure nothing is missed.


3. Waiting Time
This type of complaint can occur when customers call a call center that requires them to make several extensions before speaking directly to an officer or makes the customer wait a long time.
Example:
Customers have to queue for a very long time to get service, for example waiting lists at restaurants.
How to handle:
Reassure customers and tell them that you understand that their time is valuable. Don’t forget, say thank you because they are willing to wait. If possible, give an estimate of how long it will take until it’s your turn.
If this happens frequently, consider ways to improve operations to reduce wait times. For example, increasing the number of staff or more tables.


4. Delivery
Customer complaints also often occur due to delivery delays. This happens most often in online businesses, where the cause is often created by the expedition.
Example:
On twin dates, orders are overflowing, resulting in delays in delivery from your side.
How to handle:
Tell customers that you have more orders than expected
Instead, you can give incentives to customers, such as discount coupons, to apologize for the delay.
After the goods are sent, reassure the customer that the package is on its way and please wait because the expedition may also experience a surge in demand.


5. Personnel
Personnel complaints can occur when a customer is unhappy with their interaction with someone at the company.
Example:
There are staff who are rude, unfriendly, or ignore customer complaints, making customers feel disrespected and underestimated.
How to handle:
Ask customers to describe their interactions with the employee.
If they are unsure of the name of the employee serving them, ask them to provide a description of the person.
Validate the customer’s frustration and apologize for the situation.
Speak with the employee and arrange for any additional training needed to prevent the situation from recurring.


6. Online Reviews
This type of complaint occurs when customers provide feedback publicly on online forums or social media sites. Since many people may see the complaint, it is important to resolve the customer’s issue as quickly as possible.
Example:
There are customers who complain because the food they ordered is stale or damaged, then share their experiences on social media. Unexpectedly, many people read his comments and went viral.
How to handle:
Contact the person directly to ask if they are willing to discuss the problem.
Understand their complaints and take them seriously. If willing, provide appropriate compensation.
After resolving the complaint, you can politely ask the customer to delete the complaint or clarify if the problem has been resolved.
However, you may also encounter customers who just want to complain or expect unreasonable solutions. If various efforts have been made and reasonable compensation is not enough, then it is time to move on.


7. Repeated Complaints
This type of complaint can occur when one customer provides the same feedback more than once or if several customers provide similar feedback.
Example:
For example, many customers say that the products they ordered arrived with missing components.
How to handle:
Discuss this with your manager or superior. Consider whether sales of the product need to be temporarily stopped until the company can resolve this problem.
Respond immediately to customer complaints and ask relevant questions to determine the source of the problem. Make sure customers feel like they are being taken seriously and getting compensation.


8. Communication
This complaint relates to miscommunication that occurred between the customer and the business.
Example:
Customers misinterpret company messages, such as advertising.
How to handle:
If the company communicates with customers unclearly, apologize to the customer and explain what caused the misunderstanding.
If the customer misunderstands the communication, be respectful without blaming the customer.


9. Price
Complaints about pricing may stem from a lack of understanding of the product’s value, comparisons with competitors, or unexpected additional costs.
Example:
Customers feel that the products they purchased are too expensive or do not offer the value they have paid for.
How to handle:
Clearly explain the value and benefits of the product to rationalize the price you offer.
Provide tiered or package pricing options to meet different budget levels.
Carry out market evaluations and research to ensure the price you set is appropriate and competitive enough.


Read also: Pricing Strategies: Definition, Factors, and 25 Types


So, that’s an example of a customer complaint and how to handle it. Talking about customers, you can also save a customer database in the Labamu application. It’s true, with just one application, there are many business management features that you can use. Hurry up and download the application via Google Play or the App Store!