Small Business For Dummies: Best Responses to 5 of the Most Common, Challenging Customer Queries
The questions that can trip you up, and the answers that won’t
Even the most established, respected businesses in the world sometimes need to have uncomfortable conversations with their customers. No matter how perfectly you’ve locked down your customer service strategy, there are simply too many variables along the way to expect that nothing will ever go wrong — we’re pretty sure that the Small Business For Dummies Handbook has at least a solid chapter or two dedicated to diffusing tough customer interactions. In the digital era, you also can’t afford to not respond professionally and calmly, no matter how irate a customer is. The world is watching out for more than complaints: they’re also watching out to see how you respond.
“70% of the customer’s journey is dictated by how the customer feels they are being treated.” McKinsey
Today, we’re looking at 5 of the best responses to common customer complaints and queries. Of course, you’ll need to tweak them to suit your specific business and the scenario involved, but they’re a great start if you’re not sure how to handle a tough customer.
1. “I want a refund… now!”
A difficult one to start with, as a customer requesting a refund will generally be less inclined to compromise, and already wants out.
Here, the first step is to be absolutely clear and frank about your decision. A refund policy, if you have one in place, could prove very useful. But of course, if you can’t offer a refund, be sure to provide alternative options.
Suggested response:
Hi Anna,
We’re sorry to hear that you’re not satisfied with our product. As we are not able to offer you a refund (please see our terms and conditions), we will gladly provide you with a store credit of $50 <(or… a billing extension / other solution)>
While we get this ready to be sent to you, we’d like to get some more insight into your situation to see whether there are other ways in we can help you. It seems as if you <include more information about what the customer’s grievance appears to be>. Is this correct?
Once we receive your feedback, the team will chat and get back to you as soon as possible.
2. “Are you going to be including an XXX feature soon?”
In this instance, a customer wants to know when a product feature or additional service will be added. Unfortunately, you already know that this feature/service won’t be added anytime soon, or perhaps never.
This one is easier than the first query since it implies that the customer asking the question is happy to do more business with you. That said, even if the reality disappoints, complete transparency is necessary. Just make sure you explain why. And, try to address their request in any way possible.
Hi Michael,
Thank you for your message. At this time, that feature is not included in our roadmap, but we are working on some notable upgrades which will benefit most of our customers.
So, while we are unable to provide the specific feature you’ve asked for right now, we do have an alternative suggestion that may help. <add in suggested solution>
We appreciate your feedback and will certainly consider adding this feature in future.
Thank you
You could also consider sending this customer a personalized text message to thank them for their feedback.
3. “I’ve spoken to three different people now. Stop transferring me!”
Customers hate to have to deal with multiple people to solve their problem. It feels as if the business they’re calling is incompetent and chaotic.
The answer here is simple. Unless you absolutely must transfer someone again, don’t do it. Go the extra mile - even if you have to put them on hold and consult with another colleague - to help them yourself.
The response here is a bit different since you’ll likely be dealing with this customer telephonically.
Jack, I am really sorry for you having had to speak to several people. I know how frustrating that can be. I’ll be taking over your query and will personally assist you.
If you can’t handle the customer’s complaint immediately, let them know that further investigation is required, but that you will call with an update in 30 minutes.
“73% of customers fall in love with a brand because of friendly customer service representatives.” RightNow
4. “Please reply to my tweet!”
Most customers would rather be assisted on the channel they’ve elected to reach you on. In the very public social media space, this can be tricky.
But, as long as you explain why, there’s no reason that you can’t move the customer to a more private channel, or one which allows you to better handle their request.
Hi @Mike_J_, sorry to hear about the issue you’re having. We’d like to get this fixed for you asap. To do so, we’ve had to rope in our sales manager. Please could you DM us your email address, and he’ll send you a mail to confirm that the problem is resolved.
If you don’t have anyone regularly monitoring your social media accounts, consider using a live chat tool to answer queries automatically until one of your agents becomes available. On social media, time is of the essence.
5. “My order still hasn’t been delivered!”
Waiting… nobody likes it. And waiting beyond the date or time that a product should arrive is even worse. First and foremost, resist the knee-jerk reaction to get on the defensive. But also, don’t accept blame when the delay isn’t your fault.
Try to understand the situation from your customer’s perspective, not from your business’s perspective. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just getting started, there really is value in imagining things from the perspective of someone who has already made a purchase.
Hi Mark
We absolutely understand how frustrating it must be to be waiting for your delivery, which we acknowledge was meant to arrive two days ago. First off, here’s what our process was after you placed your order <explain delivery process, so customer at least knows effort has gone into the prompt delivery of his order — also include dates>
We can confirm that everything went smoothly and as planned from our side, but it looks like the courier ran into a delay on <date>. This means that you can anticipate delivery on <date>.
We wish we could get your parcel delivered right now, and again, we apologize for this unforeseen delay. If you have any other issues at all once you receive your delivery, please reply to us here so that we can assist.
No matter how experienced you are in building great products or managing your employees, managing your customers demands a “small business for dummies approach” and this means getting back to basics, being empathetic, and putting yourself into the shoes of a customer.
With this mindset, no customer complaint should be too challenging to handle, and if you’re open to hearing them out, you can ultimately use this information to build a better business.
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