by Erna George. The world of branding is peppered with mantras and buzzwords such as “customer first”, “focus on customer care” or “delight the consumer” (one I have used myself). The challenge is that not all customers are easy to please, or something happens that turns the nicest customer into what feels like the most unreasonable, angry soul.
Dealing with unhappy customers can cause stress, leaving the receiver of said complaint feeling attacked and customers as if they want nothing to do with the brand.
Good or bad
On the one hand, if a consumer finds the time and energy to complain, it is an opportunity (I’ll explain later). On the other hand, customer complaints may in a few extreme cases reflect the silliness or the greed of some. Good or bad, the exchange between brands and complainants does not mean that there has to be a winner and loser.
Really? How can I say that when there are increasing examples on the web and here in South Africa of complaints described as frustrating and draining upon organisations?
One I found online from Sydney, Australia, was from a consumer complaining that the chicken he just bought from a drive through was too hot, that is heat hot, not spicy. Hot as it had just come ‘off the cooker’. He said it was tasty and juicy but too hot. What exactly did he want the establishment to do? Would he prefer that the chicken was not fresh?
My main concern
My main concern with this type of complaint is that it has the potential to lead to less bold moves, less innovation from brands and things such as over-packaging and warnings for the warnings; in short, being overcautious just in case of a law suit [how very American — ed-at-large].
Let’s hope we don’t get to that stage, although there are many published examples of customers who just want. When even the littlest thing goes wrong, they demand (often rudely) extras such as multiple vouchers, free dinners or a year’s supply of brand X. I have heard anecdotally that some customer service departments have or share lists of serial complainants who are out for such freebies.
Let’s face it, it is human nature for some to try this but, from those I have spoken to, these materialistic customers typically represent only a small segment of those dealt with daily, even though they feel like the most taxing.
A luxury not afforded
Then there are people who are angry: “If I do not speak to the MD, I will go to the media” or “Deliver it in 15 minutes or I will call a lawyer”. Angry people who take it personally are a luxury marketers cannot afford. Allowing people to vent and listening without being defensive are described by many experts as the first steps in dealing effectively with complaints.
Sorting out upset customers costs companies in profit and in employee morale. The extreme complainants who threaten legal action or media exposés for the smallest flaw can be a drain on productivity.
At year-end, demands from dissatisfied customers will result in a cost outlay to compensate, and this will have to be accounted for. When it is ultimately budgeted for and prices may rise a little (someone should tell serial complainants abusing the system that we could be paying for it), this is not how good marketing organisations view it. It is less about a cash transaction and more about a direct connection to those who’ve chosen to spend hard-earned cash on your brand.
Give the brand a chance
This interaction represents an opportunity as people’s time is short and precious, and they could choose to simply and conveniently vent over Twitter or Hellopeter.com, rather than giving the brand a chance to personally resolve the situation and improve.
Many marketers or customer-care agents (as irritated as they get) have found that, if handled effectively, they can shift the customer to feeling that the brand is great, even towards passionate brand consumers and ambassadors.
The engagement provides the opportunity for ‘free’ insight into how people are experiencing brands in reality, for understanding potential enhancement areas and an early warning system for quality gaps not picked up internally. So, as counter-intuitive as it sounds, complaints can be a positive contributor to brands and business.
The onus is on everyone
Great branding companies prioritise customer feedback and complaints, and ensure there is a solid strategy and policies in place to deal with these. With quality processes or checks in place, everyone in the business may be led to feel that the onus of protecting the brand image — by focusing upon driving quality throughout the value chain and route to market — rests with them.
In addition, developing quality customer-service agents who are well-trained should be a critical focus —a team of people with nerves of steel and composed personae who resist the urge for payback or retribution, a team which diffuses challenging situations, as it is only when calm is restored that a mutually beneficial resolution becomes a possibility.
When this is in place, then
- Learn from complaints and document them all (just in case there is some litigation)
- Reduce the drivers for complaints with continuous improvement initiatives
- Persevere and consider the possibility of converting unhappy customers to be 100% satisfied as this could drive unpaid for (therefore trusted) word-of-mouth marketing
Customer complaints, the opportunity for winning both ways.
Erna George is the new marketing executive of Pioneer Foods’ Cereals & Other division. She has worked on both client and agency sides with diverse brands and categories — from FMCG, alcohol and agriculture to financial services and entertainment — in countries across many geographies, including South Africa, Mozambique, Nigeria, Kenya, India, Philippines and Brazil. She contributes the monthly “Fair Exchange” column, concerning business relationships and partnerships in marketing and brandland, to MarkLives.
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