Written by Courtney Cochran

As a business owner, salesperson or customer-facing employee, you are in the position to build relationships with the people you come in contact with each day. It may, in fact, be part of what you love about your career. Any relationship needs nurturing and attention. Customer relationships are no exception. Customers with complaints want very specific solutions to their problems. They desire communication and have passion regarding their experience.

- “A complaint is brand loyalty in disguise.”

Like a disgruntled love that’s been ignored, the customer with a complaint needs to be reassured and wooed back into the relationship. Whether you love them or hate them, customer complaints are a vital part to your growth in sales. Learning to approach complaints without fear, rather with an attitude of service, is crucial to creating brand loyalty and a WOW experience for the customer. Rather than focusing on the negative, present your customer with an overwhelmingly positive experience. Keeping the following five points in mind will help you turn customer complaints into the most exciting opportunity for growth and loyalty.

1. See the Situation from the Customer’s Point of View

You can gain valuable insight from the views and opinions of the customer. The customer drives your business, for better or worse. Empathizing with the customer’s experience is key to understanding what you are doing well, and what you are not. Often times the customer will tell you what is wrong, if you just listen.

2. Evaluate Your Performance

When was the last time you evaluated your performance? If it’s been a while, it may be worth asking yourself what signals you may be unintentionally putting out. Maybe it’s the “I’m too busy right now” signal, or the “I just haven’t had time to follow-up” signal, or worse it could be the “I really don’t care if you’re a customer” signal. Make sure your signals are customer centered.  Put the customer first, and make the time to truly serve them and care about the experience you provide them with.

3. Improve Customer Satisfaction

Even if you are frequented by customer complaints, there are things you can do to improve customer satisfaction. Become a resource for the customer. Make yourself available. Be an expert at what you do by providing sound and balanced information. Provide them with the solutions they seek. This resourceful type of relationship is exactly what the customer desires.

4. Create Long-Term Loyalty

You can combat the negative effect of customer complaints by focusing on creating long-term customer relationships. Creating loyalty is more than just handing the customer a loyalty card or telling them you are here for them 24/7. It’s about being consistent at all times. It’s about exceeding customer expectations and providing them with a service experience they can’t, and don’t want to, live without. It’s about providing an experience that simply can’t be provided by any competitor.

5. Identify Weak Points in Your Processes

This is your calling card for better results and growth increase. Even if your customer complaints are few, there is always room for improvement, and you should strive to improve the customer experience. You don’t have to make dramatic changes or radical shifts in your approach. Try implementing something simple and go from there. It could be establishing a consistent, upbeat and friendly greeting. Whatever the case, it’s the little things that do make a big difference in the overall customer experience.