Customer Complaints-

Just LAAF � Listen � Apologize � Acknowledge � Fix

Source: Rick Conlow, customerservicemanager.com

Just LAAF � Listen

�  Active listening that requires attention and intention.

�  Have Intention to sincerely understand the customer’s complaint, the trouble we have caused them by failing to meet their expectations, and how we can make it right.

�  How to listen? Ask the customer to tell you about his concern. Wait to ask for appropriate information.

Customer Complaints

Just LAAF � Apologize

�  Be sincere by taking full responsibility for the mistake- even if it wasn’t your fault. This reinforces empathy and support.

�  It’s as simple as saying, “I am sorry that happened. I’m sure it was frustrating. I apologize.”

Customer Complaints

Just LAAF � Acknowledge

�  Acknowledge the inconvenience the problem may have caused- an unhappy customer, lost sale, etc.

�  It’s as simple as saying, “I am sorry that your customer was waiting on that shipment and now you have lost a sale.

�  Acknowledgement will ease the customer’s stress and they will appreciate that you are accountable to them.

Customer Complaints

Customer Complaints

� Friendly Fix

�  Take care of how the problem affects the customer AND the issue itself

�  Why? You can do a re-ship but if you don’t deal with the customer’s inconvenience you still have an unhappy customer.

�  Acknowledge and apology steps are very important and strengthens relationships with our customers

PAYOFF: Your job is easier and more enjoyable because you can keep helping customers even when they are complaining. And, you will feel good about how you do it, because it works.

Source: Rick Conlow, customerservicemanager.com

Just LAAF

Grace Direct Territory Manger Best Practices

Customer Complaints

Customer Complaints- Best Practices from Grace TMs

�  Address the issue right away- with a “thank you for letting me know” -response. Give the customer a specific time frame for getting the issue resolved.

�  Copy your customer on the email to Customer Service so that they know they are being taken care of. Include customer number, photos of batch codes, shipping label, damaged products

�  Let the customer know when the issue has been handled with a call or email

�  Check your daily report for orders of $0.00 and be aware of customers having product reshipped

Customer Complaints- Best Practices from Grace TMs � Make notes in your organizational system

to follow up daily until issues are resolved, keeping an eye on the progress

� Use your sample budget to smooth over serious complaints. Send a free case of a SKU they are not carrying to apologize for the inconvenience.

� Turn the negative into a positive- grow their sales!

� Stop by to inspect the problem, sometimes it’s personal attention and understanding that will fix the problem!