Effective written responses to problematic situations the customer - How to deal with customer complaints

Does not always work. She provided the customer with a number of offers of merchandising and pricing options that seem favorable and fair. But no matter what you feel is a great offer, there are times when a customer wants to return only the product. There are other customers who have a complaint about delays in shipment or adequacy of the product.

No matter how clear the return policy is defined on your website, customers feel that they should return with a full refund. No questions asked. Retailers have created this mega no-haggle return policy, because they have no other opportunity to sell these items, namely, through their discount stores. But for the small boutique online retailer, which employs a drop-shipper, the returns are usually charged a restocking fee. This fee is charged to the online retailer. And 'therefore understandable and reasonable that a customer re-stocking is needed to recover some or all of the costs of restocking and credit card that they put the retailer on the customer's initial purchase transaction.

When you are in the client's business, inevitably, you will be required to face a problematic situation of the customer. So how do you respond to these inevitable yet regrettable customer problem situations? What is the best way to respond in writing to these customers?

These eight time-tested tips have helped me to write an effective response to situations of customer complaints over and over again:

1) Write your answer, as if your words will eventually be published on the internet. It may seem, in whole or in part, on someone's blog, visible to the world wide web to read and discuss. Remember problem situations are opportunities to further market your company's image and confidence to extend the benefit of customers.

2) These e-mails or letters about problematic situations should never tell the customer what they did wrong, however, tell the customer exactly what they need to do to make things right. Detail the steps the customer must perform in order to achieve the solution. This "be positive" approach has been applied many times in the past 30 years, when I was a software support manager for Hewlett-Packard and Sun Microsystems.

3) Use the written word to further develop and grow your confidence with the customer. "Active listening" is applied to the written word as it applies to the conversation. First try to understand, verify that the understanding and then proceed with a proposed solution.

4) Be honest in your proposed solution, but not "give away the farm", as part of the resolution of the problem. Think Win-Win. Ask yourself the following question: With what you are offering as a solution, this is likely to maintain this customer as a repeat customer?

5) Breaking the 'fix-it' offer in two parts, a correction to the current bid and buy the future. Apply some 'common sense to fix the current situation (partial refund, exchange point or return). Then entice the customer to come back to buy again with an 'offer for future purchases (as a further 5% discount or free shipping).

6) For a situation of replacing the product, this could be an opportunity to "sell up" to the customer a better product or service.

7) Have a well-defined page Right of return on your website. Do not hide the fact that a re-stocking charge. Always be clear with your return policy, shipping information and privacy. Nothing hidden in these areas, but rather openly disclosed build customer confidence in your website and the company.

8) Accept that there will be times when you lose the customer. Forever! Sometimes it just does not work and will not be able to save a customer. Be gracious in closing - "We had hoped that we could do this work mutually advantageous offer" and then let go. No guilt - No Regret.

On your journey to maintain consistently high level of customer satisfaction, we discover that "All customers are not created equal" and "The customer is always right". Both the seller and the consumer have responsibilities to ensure the sale transaction is mutually beneficial. Encourage your customers to ask questions and get answers before you buy. Strive for a Win-Win sales experience .......