Lately we had to deal with a couple of confused customers back at work. A few of them had trouble understanding some of our product’s features, while others were complaining about problems that simply weren’t there.

The real issue lies elsewhere: we were doing a poor job educating them on how to use our service and make the most out of it. Our customer service team used to apologise to our customers and act on its own to resolve the issues, instead of guiding them to find the solution themselves. That kind of reaction led us to a never-ending loop: complaints-apologies-short term fixes. We weren’t really listening.

The optimal course of action here is rather simple:

1. Listen: don’t just answer calls or emails. Try to understand what’s wrong, locate the source of your problems.

2. Evolve: as much confidence as you have in your product, probably there are a couple of things you’ve missed which your clients will notice. Take advantage of the opportunity to make the necessary improvements, saving yourself from the facing the same problems in the future.

3. Educate: apologising is easy but it’s not enough. Don’t be afraid to teach your customers when they need it. After all, you know your product more than anyone else.

Conclusion: If your users or clients don’t understand your service it’s your fault. What you have to do is listen with empathy, utilise their feedback and educate them.