10 Examples of Customer Complaints and How to Deal with Them, Complete with Example Responses
Complaints are a form of customer concern for your product. When purchasing goods or services, customers definitely have expectations that must be met. One example of a customer complaint is about the quality of the product that is not commensurate with the price.
So, how do you respond and overcome it?
Summarizing HelpScout and Squareup, see 12 examples of customer complaints, how to respond, and overcome them below.
10 Examples of Customer Complaints
Products that are damaged before use (defective)
This situation is indeed unpredictable, surely you and your team always believe that you have provided the best product for customers. However, this example of a customer complaint cannot be predicted when it will happen.
Example response: "We apologize and regret this incident. We always prioritize the best products and services for our loyal customers. Therefore, we can offer an exchange or refund process."
Poor quality customer service
Examples of customer complaints related to customer service can be staff who are not solution-oriented, poor staff responses, to difficulty contacting the customer service center. To overcome this, you can immediately contact the customer personally without having to wait for further complaints, then respond with:
“Good Morning/Afternoon/Evening, Mr./Mrs. xx (customer name).
Allow me, (your name), on behalf of (brand name) to apologize profusely for the inconvenience faced when contacting our CS. I realize that our CS team was not in optimal condition to serve your complaint at that time.
Therefore, through this message, I personally want to apologize and directly connect with you to find out what complaints or assistance we can provide.”
Inconsistent and clear information
In this situation, you should not rush to respond or make a decision. It is important to understand what type of information is considered unclear and what information the customer expects.
Therefore, you can respond with:
“We apologize for our negligence in providing inconsistent information. Before we respond to your complaint, may we confirm that the last information you received was xxx (the information complained about).
After confirmation with the relevant team, we can say that the information is not true and the correct information is xxx (correct information).”
Out of stock of product
When a product is out of stock, the first step after receiving a customer complaint is to confirm with the factory whether the product will be restocked soon. If not in the near future, ask for an estimate. That way, you have a solution and information that can be provided to customers.
Example of response: “We apologize, our loyal customers, for the time being the item will only be restocked on November 1, 2024. We thank you for your willingness to wait. However, if the item is restocked sooner, we will immediately inform you via email or WhatsApp.”
Product quality is not as expected
As mentioned above, customers have expectations for the products they buy. You can resolve this example of a customer complaint by understanding their complaints and expectations.
Some examples of questions are:
“What are the shortcomings of our product after you use it?”
“What functions and benefits are expected from our product?”
Payment method not available
Especially if your business is not part of a sales platform with complete payment methods. The right response to address this example of a customer complaint is:
“We apologize, but for the time being we do not serve this payment method. We are aware of this limitation and are working hard to resolve it. We humbly ask you to use another payment method that is currently available.”
Customers are made to wait a long time
Regarding customer service, another example of a customer complaint is when they are made to wait a long time when submitting a complaint or needing help. This will cause inconvenience and new complaints.
Therefore, start by training your CS team to be more empathetic to consumers, then ensure that the performance of other teams, especially those directly related to the product, is always optimal.
Example of response: “Dear loyal customer of XX (brand), we apologize profusely for the actions of our CS staff who made you wait for 30 minutes. With this, we would like to give you a 10% discount voucher for your next purchase. Thank you.”
Consumers have to repeat complaints
Consumers who have to repeat their complaints with several different CS staff will ruin their experience with your product. So the right response is:
“We apologize for this incident, we regret that you had to repeatedly convey previous complaints. We have now noted your complaint and ensure that it is our main concern to be resolved.”
Problem not resolved in one call
This will definitely make their customers think that your team is not a solution. So to overcome this example of a customer complaint, here is the right response:
“We apologize that you had to contact us again to resolve the same problem. We are currently working on resolving the problem within the next 6 hours.”
The price of the item is too expensive
When consumers compare the price and quality of your product with competitors, this may happen. Make sure that your product is superior to your competitors. Then respond with:
“Thank you for your feedback. We realize that our product is more expensive than other brands. However, we ensure that our product uses better materials and has more benefits. We believe that you will not regret using our product and will feel the maximum benefits.”
How to Handle Customer Complaints Properly
- Remain calm and use good listening skills.
- Understand their complaint and make sure the solution is appropriate.
- Show sympathy and empathy for the customer.
- Answer honestly and according to the situation.
- Apologize.
- Offer a temporary solution, especially if other solutions take time.
- Provide special offers such as discounts when the problem is resolved.
- Follow up on problems that have been resolved.
- Document complaints so that you are ready to face similar things.
- Most importantly, don't get emotional.
The various examples of customer complaints above and how to handle them can help you maintain good relationships with customers. Don't forget to adjust your response to the situation or type of complaint.
If you want to learn more about maintaining relationships with consumers and maintaining customer satisfaction, you should join the Prasmul-Eli Customer Satisfaction Relationship short program. Professionals and industry experts are ready to share their experiences and best practices with you. Interested? Click here to register for the program!
