Home Knowledge Articles Complaint handling best practice: the value of a human touch

In terms of customer service, complaints are not just a negative experience, but a valuable opportunity to learn and improve. People complain for many reasons, when products are faulty, when they experience poor service, or when the product doesn’t meet their expectations.

Whilst there are some common issues, the impact on each individual and their expectations for a resolution can vary dramatically, which makes complaint handling far from straightforward.

The value of a human agent

Complaints are often fuelled by emotion and must therefore be managed with care and empathy, ideally by a human agent. This is not only important to ensure a good customer experience but is also in the interests of the business itself. How well a complaint is handled can have lasting consequences, particularly when this might be the customer’s first interaction with the brand.

Unfortunately, by the time a customer reaches a human agent their frustration has often been exacerbated by a lengthy wait, being referred to a website that doesn’t have the information they need, or a bot not equipped to understand their issues, let alone provide an answer. They may also have struggled to find a phone number to get them to a real person and then further frustrated when asked to repeat information already shared. By the time the agent picks up, the customer is often ready to take these frustrations out on them, irrespective of where the fault lies.

Addressing the challenges

Given all of this, managing complaints can be incredibly challenging and there is a lot of pressure on one individual to calm those emotions, quickly understand the nature of the complaint and find a speedy resolution that wins back the customer’s trust.

However, there are some effective ways to handle complaints and restore customer satisfaction.

Here are our best practice recommendations.

Listen attentively: When a customer raises a complaint, listen carefully without interrupting. Let them express their concerns fully to understand the issue completely.

Show empathy: Acknowledge the customer's feelings and show empathy towards their situation. Understanding that their dissatisfaction is valid, and empathising can help de-escalate the situation.

Stay calm and professional: Maintain a calm and professional manner, even if the customer is angry or upset. Responding with composure can help diffuse tension and instil confidence in your ability to resolve the issue.

Apologise sincerely: Regardless of who is at fault, offer a sincere apology for the inconvenience caused to the customer. A genuine apology demonstrates your commitment to restoring their satisfaction.

Take ownership: Accept responsibility for resolving the issue, even if you were not directly involved in causing it. Avoid blaming others or making excuses, as this can aggravate the situation.

Seek clarification: If the complaint is unclear or ambiguous, ask clarifying questions to ensure you fully understand the issue before proceeding to a resolution.

Offer solutions: Present practical solutions to address the customer's concerns. Offer alternatives if the initial solution proposed is not feasible or satisfactory to the customer.

Follow up promptly: Once a resolution has been implemented, follow up with the customer to ensure their satisfaction and to address any lingering issues or concerns.

With the right training and support, a complaint handled well provides an excellent opportunity to lay the foundation for a positive customer relationship.

Act on complaints received

Many customers opt for silent dissatisfaction, quietly switching to competitors rather than voicing complaints, leaving that business unaware that their poor customer experience is driving churn.

When a customer complains they are giving the business a valuable opportunity to not only resolve their own issue but prevent it from impacting others. Complaint handling should therefore always be a high priority:

Use complaints as an opportunity to identify areas for improvement in products, services, or processes.
Analyse recurring complaints to implement preventive measures and enhance customer experience.
Regularly measure customer satisfaction levels through surveys or feedback mechanisms.
Use feedback data to gauge the effectiveness of your complaint handling process and make necessary adjustments.
Most importantly, support the individuals who are faced with handling what are often challenging situations. Effective training, systems and processes will help them do their job well.

Prioritise human interaction

The human touch is essential to effective complaint handling, as emotions and nuanced situations demand empathy and understanding that only a human can provide. Complex issues often require creative problem-solving and flexibility, areas where human agents excel. Humans can intuitively grasp the subtleties of a customer's concerns and offer personalised solutions that resonate on a deeper level. Whereas a chatbot may struggle to recognise the underlying emotions driving a complaint, such as frustration or disappointment, a human agent can empathise and respond accordingly, de-escalating tensions and building rapport.

By prioritising human interaction in complaint managing processes, businesses can not only navigate challenges but also foster stronger connections with their customers, ultimately driving long-term loyalty and success.

Read more on how a human touch can benefit the customer experience.