Every business will at some point have customer complaints. So why do customers complain in the first place? There are many reasons. Sometimes customers do not believe that they are getting what they are paying for, or they may just be a complainer who wants to pay less and thinks that by complaining, they will be able to. Other times, it may be a simple case of buyers remorse. Maybe they cant justify their purchase and so are complaining about it in an attempt to get a refund.

When customers complain to you, make sure to take notes. Ask them to repeat their story a few times and try to ascertain what the real problem might be. This will also highlight inconsistencies in their story. This is for your own learning benefit in the future. Train your sales staff to treat all customers respectfully, no matter what and to send any especially difficult customers to either you or to your supervisor.

What you offer the customer should be offered to them in the most positive and best possible manner. They are unhappy, after all, and even if you can’t offer them what they are probably secretly hoping for (two months of free service, for example) you can still try to put an optimistic spin on what you can provide for them. Bottom line: you want to avoid not only having to refund their money, but also the possibility of permanently losing them as a client. Customers should never feel as though they are being given the option of accepting something that they feel is inferior or inadequate.

So what are the obligations of the customer? They are obligated to pay for the service that they receive, provided that they receive it in the time frame and at the price agreed upon. They are obligated to expect that they receive their product or service in the condition or at the quality that was agreed upon at the time of purchase, and they are, believe it or not, obligated to complain if these two conditions aren’t met.

When customers complain to you, make sure to take notes. Ask them to repeat their story a few times and try to ascertain what the real problem might be. This will also highlight inconsistencies in their story. This is for your own learning benefit in the future. Train your sales staff to treat all customers respectfully, no matter what and to send any especially difficult customers to either you or to your supervisor.