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Building relationships with consumers takes time and work. investor database We spend our time offering a good experience , sending interesting content, strengthening branding and earning people's trust, but one complaint from a customer is enough and it seems like everything falls apart... But it's not really like that!

Receiving customer complaints is not pleasant because it shows a problem, however, they are also excellent opportunities to improve your processes and win back customers who would otherwise leave your company. And if you resolve customer dissatisfaction accurately, your relationship with them can be even better than it was before.

Now, let’s look at how to handle customer complaints. Good customer service can turn dissatisfied customers into brand advocates and promoters.

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Why is it important to know how to manage customer complaints?
What are the main complaints of customers?
How to deal with dissatisfied customers and turn them into brand advocates?
What is the importance of having customers as brand advocates?
Keep reading and learn how to use your customers' complaints to your advantage!

Why is it important to know how to manage customer complaints?
Does your company get upset when it receives a complaint from a customer? Well, we understand this feeling, because complaints show that something did not go as we expected.

However, they are also opportunities to identify problems that might not have been noticed in internal assessments. It is precisely these customer complaints that help us understand what went wrong.

These can be specific problems that you need to monitor so that they don't become recurrent, for example, a traffic problem that delayed a delivery. But they can also be structural problems that require a review of processes, such as a lack of logistics planning. In these cases, they are opportunities to improve your company.

Furthermore, complaining customers allow you to regain their trust . Esteban Kolski, an expert in Customer Experience, identified in his surveys that only 1 in 26 dissatisfied customers complain. Among those who do not complain, 91% simply abandon the brand… And that is not what you want, right?

Dissatisfied customers are not lost customers. They can still change their minds, as long as you can resolve the problem with dedication and agility. A good service experience can transform the relationship with the brand .

But if the customer is ignored or neglected, that complaint that was made privately or in a restricted manner can grow to uncontrollable proportions. This can lead to an image crisis and much greater damage to the brand.

Therefore, it is important to know how to deal with customer complaints. You cannot ignore them or treat a dissatisfied customer poorly! Their complaint shows that you still have a chance to win them back, and even improve, your relationship with them.

Given this point of view, it is very important to know that, in order to have corporate financial control, the opinion of your client is extremely necessary, since he is the one who makes your business work.

What are the main complaints of customers?
Now, let's better understand what the main situations are that generate customer complaints so that we know how to deal with them. By looking at the problems on this list, you'll be able to anticipate and take the necessary precautions to prevent them from happening in your company.

Keep reading!

Waiting time for service
Delays in responding to customers are always a problem, whether by phone, social media, chat or any other service channel . Customers want companies to be able to resolve problems quickly . In today's fast-paced life, no one wants to waste time.

Product with defect
Receiving a defective product is frustrating. It could be a factory defect, a storage error, carelessness in shipping, and other issues. It may not even be the company's fault, but it is the company that receives the complaint and should help resolve it, rather than exonerating itself.

Product out of stock
Having items out of stock can be a good sign if there is a high demand. But for the consumer who cannot find the product they would like, it is a frustration that can lead to complaints at the SAC.

Bad product or service
Often, the product or service has no flaws or defects, but it does not meet the customer's expectations . In some cases, the customer does not know how to use the product and also complains. Therefore, it is important to understand the reason for dissatisfaction and find the best solution.

Failure or delay in delivery
The buyer is already waiting for the delivery of the products purchased online. When they arrive late, irritation sets in. And when the customer receives the wrong product, he or she may feel even more frustrated. Therefore, companies need to be very careful about the delivery time and allow the customer to follow the steps until they receive the product.

Difficulty of exchange or return
For the customer who realizes that he has chosen the wrong size or has changed his mind about a purchase, it should be easy to exchange or return the product. If he does not find clear information about this or has problems with this process, complaints arise – with good reason.

Having to repeat your problem to different assistants
Here the complaint comes from problems in the service itself. Therefore, keep in mind the importance of serving a dissatisfied customer well.

In this case, it is a common situation: the need to repeat the problem for collaborators from different areas of the company , who probably do not have customer data integration .

First contact without solution
Customers expect to have their problem resolved as soon as possible, if possible on the first contact. If this does not happen, dissatisfaction will build up, even if the problem solution takes longer to be addressed.

Lack of follow-up
If the first contact is not resolved, the customer must have a quick response and the company cannot be passive and simply wait for the customer to return.

It is the customer service team that must be proactive, without delay, to provide a response . Even if you have not yet resolved the customer's need, it is important that you are transparent and generate fluid communication about the situation.

How to deal with dissatisfied customers and turn them into brand advocates?
Now, let’s look at some tips to better manage customer complaints.

If you have received complaints before, it is time to take action to reverse this situation!

Plan the reception of complaints
First, it is important to have a customer service plan. Otherwise, the team receives complaints, does not know what to do and can make the situation worse.

So, you need to create a SAC action plan . You can create service buyer personas and set up common scenarios based on the top customer complaints we showed above.

In this way, it is possible to define a standard procedure for each type of complaint, while evaluating the specificity of each situation and each client.

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Anticipate claims
Rather than receiving a call from an angry customer, it is better to anticipate the complaint. This way, you avoid tension in the relationship with the customer.

To do this, you can carry out active after-sales work , which is not limited to receiving customer contacts, but also going after them to improve their experience after the purchase .

This attitude can be materialized in satisfaction surveys to understand how the experience was. Perhaps the client does not speak out on their own initiative, but the survey can encourage them to indicate points for improvement.

Additionally, the after-sales team can also offer an onboarding process and customized content , which provides guidance on how to best use the product. This prevents complaints that the product is bad just because the customer doesn’t know how to use it.


Use a humanized approach
You can even use chatbots to optimize service. But when customers are dissatisfied, you need to provide personalized service, otherwise, dissatisfaction with the brand can worsen.

Even if the assistant is a person, it is not possible to provide a “robotic” service. Avoid ready-made responses because each situation is unique and each client deserves specific assistance.

It is also important to be sensitive to the customer , who is already exhausted by a frustrating experience with the brand or product. Show that you understand the person's emotions and want to resolve the situation. In this way, you will be able to connect with the customer and overcome their resistance when it comes to being served.

Pay attention to the customer
A complaining customer wants attention. Never make the mistake of dismissing the situation or thinking that one problem is less important than others. A simple complaint, if not given enough attention, can snowball into a problem.

So, listening to the customer is the starting point . To do this, assistants must be trained to practice active listening , that is, a real interest in what the interlocutor says. This helps to generate empathy and to really understand the customer's side.

Some attitudes demonstrate this active listening, such as being careful not to interrupt the conversation, avoiding distractions during the dialogue, and using markers that show that you are paying attention. The tone of voice in the conversation and body language also demonstrate interest in listening to the customer's voice , understanding their discontent, and seeking solutions.

Understand customer profile and behavior
Every customer is unique . No matter how often situations are repeated, each person deals with problems in a different way. Therefore, it is important to understand the profile and behavior of those on the other side in order to establish a positive dialogue .

Some customers are more uncompromising, others are more open to dialogue. Some want to get their way with some advantage, others just want to resolve the problem as quickly as possible. Some get angry upon contact, others are more calm. Therefore, listening carefully is essential to detect this behavior and know how to act.

Appreciate the feedback
Yes, it may seem strange that a company would thank you for receiving a complaint. But that customer feedback is an opportunity to improve something that was missed during the sales process and that you may not have noticed. Therefore, the consumer's expression deserves a thank you.

Moreover, this attitude disarms the customer who is ready to unleash his indignation. When faced with a humble and receptive attitude from the customer service team, consumers tend to speak in a more friendly manner.

Understand all the details of the situation
Paying attention to the customer's speech is also important to understand the details of the situation. After explaining their dissatisfaction, the assistant can ask specific questions to better understand the problem and, if necessary, seek additional information to determine the facts .

Full control of the situation is important to find the right solutions. Otherwise, the company may take the wrong path and further erode the relationship with the customer.

Furthermore, the complaint is not always related to a company's failure. It could be a problem with a supplier or with the way the customer used the product, for example.

But that doesn’t mean you can make excuses. If you want to turn unhappy customers into brand advocates , you need to help them resolve their issues. In these cases, the assistant can refer the customer to the right team and follow up to see if everything was resolved.


Acknowledge the problems and apologize
If, when looking for the source of the problem, you identify that the error is the company's, acknowledge the problem and apologize. The service team speaks on behalf of the company and must demonstrate humility to acknowledge that it has failed.

Don't underestimate the power of an apology. Once again, this attitude facilitates dialogue to resolve problems in a more friendly manner.

Furthermore, a study conducted at the University of Nottingham showed that customers who receive an apology instead of a monetary reward are twice as likely to reverse a negative review.

customer complaint
Don't delay in responding
As we have seen before, delay is one of the main reasons for complaints. Delay in delivery, waiting time for service and delay in resolving the problem are important reasons for dissatisfaction. So don't delay in responding.

According to the 2020 Sprout Social Index™ survey , 40% of consumers expect brands to respond within the first hour of reaching out on social media, while 79% expect a response within the first 24 hours.

In addition to making the customer impatient, the delay is also a legal issue. According to Mexico's Consumer Protection Code , companies have up to 30 days to resolve a problem with the product. But of course, the consumer expects a quicker resolution, right?

Have customer information on hand
Another reason for customer dissatisfaction is having to repeat their problem several times to different assistants. That's why it's important to have a tool that centralizes customer data and allows easy access by the team.

A CRM software is the ideal tool for this. The program saves all the information about the customer's relationship with the brand, such as personal data , purchase history, and service history.

This way, when the team assists or accompanies a dissatisfied customer, they already have all the information at hand and make the service more agile and efficient.

Exceeds expectations
This is the moment of charm. The goal of customer service is to solve the problem that caused the complaint. We have already given advice on how to make this service more efficient and user-friendly, which is already capable of improving the relationship with the consumer.

But after that, we still need to offer something better to retain this customer. Go beyond problem solving and give them some benefit, such as an upgrade to a service, a more advanced product, or a discount coupon.

Sometimes a simple action is enough, such as sending a handwritten letter apologizing and offering a corporate gift. Imagine if this letter was written by the company's CEO? This experience gains the potential to be shared , while the brand strengthens the brand and the relationship with that customer.

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What is the importance of having customers as brand advocates?
When you provide quality service and exceed the expectations of dissatisfied customers, you can still regain their trust. Not only can they repeat their purchases, but they can also defend the brand and promote it among their contacts .

Brand advocates are those people who identify with your values ​​and have cultivated a close relationship with them. And this can happen even after a complaint if the service is executed well.

Advocates are important in protecting your image. When there are public criticisms and even image crises , they can advocate for the brand and prevent further damage. In addition, they can leave testimonials on the website about their experiences, post positive mentions on social media, and push comments of satisfaction about the brand on Digital Marketing channels .

It is worth emphasizing the influence of other people's opinions on purchasing decisions , much more than the word of a salesperson or the advertising of a brand.

Therefore, serving dissatisfied customers well is the opportunity to activate all this potential for dissemination through consumers themselves, in addition to protecting your brand image.

If the person bought a product, without any problems , maybe they had a good experience, but not an extraordinary one. With the tips we have given you above, you can take your relationship with the customer to another level: charm .

A process failure can be an opportunity to showcase the quality of your service and exceed expectations. If the person is unlikely to share their experience in a normal purchasing situation, effective complaint resolution can lead to them sharing their experience and promoting the brand.