Complaints, Difficult Customers & Service Recovery
Complaints, Difficult Customers & Service Recovery
A complaint is information, not automatically conflict.
Listen without becoming defensive. Acknowledge the issue, explain what you can do, correct simple errors and escalate matters that need management input. Avoid promises about refunds, compensation or outcomes you are not authorised to make.
Listen and summarise+
Let the customer explain, then summarise the issue to confirm understanding before offering the next step.
Apologise appropriately+
You can apologise for inconvenience or poor experience without admitting facts you do not know. A sincere acknowledgement often reduces tension.
Set realistic expectations+
Explain who will handle the issue and what may happen next. Do not promise that a complaint will definitely lead to removal, refund or disciplinary action.
Record patterns+
Repeated complaints about signage, queues or a process may indicate a wider service or safety problem and should be passed to management.
Customers may be frustrated with the situation rather than you. Keep your response professional.
Knowledge check
A customer complains angrily about a long queue. What is the best first approach?
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