If your business is like most, it only truly finds out what the market place thinks of them when they receive a complaint.

Customer complaints often cause business people to become defensive, which can sometimes lead to customers becoming argumentative and disgruntled. Instead, the business owner should regard the complaint as a gift, why? Because complaints provide them with the opportunity to identify problems and challenges from the customer’s viewpoint, and because none of us can survive without customers this feedback however bad can be very useful to find out what is really happening from another persons viewpoint.

If a customer says that some part of your business is not working for them, despite your thoughts to the contrary, believe them, but find out why they think that way and consider fixing it as soon as possible. Ask them questions to find out if this is the only area they want to mention, survey them while they are on a roll, you could be surprised about what you learn. Far too many business people work so closely in their business that they are loathe to work on it, and therefore reject this ‘goldmine’ of information.

Rewards.
I suggest that if a person complains you should carefully consider rewarding them for their insight, a big hard-nosed complaint should receive a thank you that ensures they are calmed down but does not cause them to recall the event to any great degree. (For example a box of chocolates is soon eaten but the effect of pacifying them remains.) A smaller complaint or observation about the business can be responded to with a card saying thanks, or a brief note mentioning how you intend to, or have rectified the situation. This will win hearts (especially a hand written note) and ensure you have fulfilled a need for the customer to be heard; quite often this is all that is required.

Consider carefully what you do to encourage people to give you feedback on your business as only a small percentage of all unhappy customers complain. Truly customer focussed business people are constantly assessing ways to get responses from their customers, as well as developing solutions to the challenges raised. Remember customers are a privilege, not a right therefore to serve them well is truly a noble pursuit.

Stumble it!