Episode 389: Words that Win- Language Skills to Defuse Customer Complaints

Ever wondered if a customer complaint could actually be the key to unlocking untapped potential in your pet business? The truth is that behind every complaint lies a valuable opportunity waiting to be discovered. This week, as we explore strategies to not only manage complaints but to leverage them as stepping stones toward service excellence. We'll explore real-life examples and practical strategies to handle complaints effectively, but also leverage them as catalysts for growth. From turning dissatisfied clients into loyal advocates to refining your service offerings based on customer feedback, you'll gain insights that can revolutionize the way you approach customer relations. Whether you're a seasoned entrepreneur or a newcomer to the pet industry, understanding how to navigate and capitalize on customer complaints is essential for building a resilient and successful business. If you've ever felt at a loss for words when dealing with an upset customer, or if timely responses have been your Achilles' heel, this is the episode for you. Topics & Key Points: Effective communication strategies for handling customer complaints Effective communication in complaint management. Customer complaint resolution strategies Handling customer complaints effectively Timestamps: [3:48] Effective communication in complaint management [9:20]Customer complaint resolution strategies [13:33] Handling customer complaints effectively Notable Quotes: "So the moment that complaint is voiced the clock starts ticking your response time and more importantly, the quality of that response sets the stage for the entire interaction." "It's not just about responding, but doing so in a way that shows that you care, you understand, and you're ready to make things right." "I want you to think about like when the policies are clear, it's easy for your team to manage the complaints consistently and effectively ensure that the policies are easily accessible for your clients to ideally post on your website to include your service agreement." Resources: The Joy of Failure Mastermind JazzHR Did you love this episode? Make sure you never miss an episode! Head over to Apple Podcasts or Spotify to subscribe to Bella In Your Business. Transcript: Welcome to another episode of Bella in Your Business. My name is Bella Vasta. And we're gonna continue on the bad customer complaint train today. First, I love how many of you guys went out and did get the joy of failure, talks about it in the last episode by Julia McCoy, and Chris Evans, it is a really good quick read, and it will impact your soul. I can't stress it enough. If you can't be in the room, technically, with amazing people, that is the next best thing. In the last episode, we talked about, you know how customer complaints can shake us to the core, it can unearth a lot of trauma, it could unearth a lot of reactions that we're not quite sure of. It could paralyze us, it could freeze us it could do all of these things, and kind of how to overcome them. And I think that it's you know, you have to think about the psychology of it first before we just get into the robotic how tos, which we're going to kind of move into a little bit today. Today, we're going to talk about the effective communication strategies how to respond, how to actively listen, and how your language matters a lot. And we're going to talk about how to, you know, kind of move through that. And I'm going to give you different steps and definitely, like practical steps to resolve the complaint where you definitely can make a good SOP and then you know, adapt it to however you want today. But first first, before we get into that I do want to do a big shout out to JazzHr, who helps support our industry in ways that I've never seen a company do so consistently and for so long. So take these words from our sponsor. Already I'm we're back. And today I wanted to also give you another book recommendation. This is a book that I have read that a lot of my clients have read that we've had the author, teach, not once but twice in the mastermind, there's actually the teaching the recordings are in there right now, if you're in the mastermind, if you're not, you want to check it out, go ahead and sign up, it's only month to month. And it's jumped consulting dotnet forward slash mastermind, but it's called Never lose a customer again, turn any sales into a lifelong loyalty in 100 days. It's by the most amazing, charismatic, exciting, interesting person, Joey Coleman. And it's a really awesome book, how you can kind of build out your own procedures. And in towards the end of the series that we're doing on customer complaints turned into a series that was going to be just an episode. But I think we're going to actually be doing a third episode after this one. You might want to grab that. And that's also on Audible, in Kindle and hardcover. And it's been very amazing for a lot of people, it's it's really helped build out this kind of customer loyalty program in terms of how to reach out and touch them and make sure that, you know, they feel like really excited to be part of your company beyond the whole Oh, thank you for your booking. You're a new client, now you're part of the family. All right, I'm always looking to inspire and motivate you guys towards success, because I know that entrepreneurship can be pretty, pretty lonely. Okay, so let's get into today's episode, let's talk about effective communication strategies. Now, there were that were equipped with the understanding of why complaints can actually be big gateways to improvement. Let's shift our focus to how we can actually master communication in these sensitive situations. So the first response is, is key. It's paramount, like, think about the last time that you had to, you know, make a complaint to accompany you, aren't you like kind of lay it on the floor on the feet, whether it's you know, online, whether it's an email, whether it's a phone call, whatever it might be you muster up all this time and energy to actually even tell them that something is wrong, because most people won't, right? And you're anticipating their response, and their response is everything. So the moment that complaint is voiced the clock starts ticking your response time and more importantly, the quality of that response sets the stage for the entire interaction. It's crucial to acknowledge the complaint quickly. And not just to show that your prompt but you can demonstrate care and concern. And immediate acknowledgement can be something as simple as I understand you're upset. And that's not the experience we want you to have. Here timing is everything. A quick response shows that you're attentive and committed to resolving issues swiftly. But remember, a fast response that lacks empathy can do more harm than good. It's about finding that balance, being quick, but also being meaningful in your communication. The other thing I want you to think about is listen actively. Now, I always make a joke about this because I'm from Boston, and I'm Italian. And so my listening, especially being in Arizona, which is more like West Coast, I always like giggle about this. Because in my family, it's like the person that can talk the loudest and talk over people. It's like, hey, oh, hey, you know, like, and you're like, hey, yeah, I totally know what you're saying. Like you're talking over each other and fast, it means that you're actively listening, right? But generally speaking, and especially in business, it's something I always have to watch. I can't interrupt people, I try not to interrupt people. No matter how excited I am, I need to let people finish their thoughts. So when you're listening, genuine, active listening, when a client comes to you with a complaint, they're often frustrated, maybe upset, and they want to feel heard. So it's your opportunity to listen, which is with two ears and speak with one mouth, right? But to understand active listening involves giving your full attention nodding, maintaining eye contact, if you're in person, not interrupting. Follow their complaint with a summary of what they said. So show them that you literally hear what they're saying, you're not just waiting to say what you want to say. So okay, let me make sure I've got this right, and then repeating back their key points, it'll show that you're engaged, and clarify any potential misunderstandings immediately. And this method doesn't just apply to face to face it equally, it's equally effective on calls or email. And it's about making the customer feel valued and respected. Through your attention to detail. Now, I've seen this go so wrong in those call centers, right? They just start regurgitating what you're saying. I'm like, Oh, my God, just stop talking. Right? Because there's like, an empathetic way to do this. You really do care. Like, okay, let me make sure I understand what you're saying. So you're saying that this, this, and this happened? Right? Right. And that's, that's a really good way to do it. But when it's not like, Okay, ma'am, I understand that you're trying to, you know, do this, and I'm gonna help you and everything that you can possibly do. And, and it's, it's not, it's like, they're trying to repeat this back to you. But they're not even asking if they got it clearly. Right. And so it can actually do more harm than justice if you're not authentic about it. And now, the language also matters too, I'm gonna give you four different types of languages that you can or words, phrases that you can use. Choosing the right words can either escalate or defuse a situation. Words are powerful. And in a complaint management, the right words can turn the tide in your favor. Use phrases that convey empathy and understanding such as I can see why that would be upsetting. Or, you're absolutely right to bring this to our attention.