Why a Solid Complaints System Should Be One of the Most Important Parts of a Site
Any business that has a site must have an effective complaints system. No business or company wants complaints; however, they are almost inevitable. A proper complaints system can go a long way in making customers happy, but there are many good reasons why a solid complaint process is necessary. Let’s take a look at a few.
It Allows Customers to Be Heard
A complaints system allows your customers to provide feedback and feel like their issues will be heard. People tend to complain when they are frustrated - after all, they have had a negative experience. Moreover, users want the business to understand the issue so that improvements can be made. Without a complaints system, customers have no place to complain, and they feel unheard. When their issues go unaddressed, they sometimes take their business elsewhere and give poor feedback.
When a business has a complaints process, it shows customers that it cares and wants to rectify situations. If a customer makes a complaint, they are generally looking for a solution. When a customer’s complaint is not fully resolved in their favour, it still leaves a good impression when an empathetic person listens to their issue and tries to propose an equally fair solution.
It Provides Valuable Insight Into Problems
Complaints tell a business what’s wrong and give insight into a company’s weaknesses, including its products, services, policy, etc. Most of the time, it will take something severely negative for customers to complain about an issue. If the complaints are noticed, the problems that the management team may be unaware of can be identified.
For instance, an increase in complaints about delivery issues may indicate a glitch in the supply chain. Furthermore, a high number of complaints about unclear return policies might mean that the policies should be simplified and explained to customers better. If complaints aren't tracked and analysed, such problems may go unnoticed.
It Allows Issues to Be Resolved
An effective complaints system not only captures inputs but also helps solve issues. Agents must be able to genuinely investigate issues raised in a complaint and remedy problems. The answer might be as simple as an apology. At times, internal processes may have to be altered, or training may have to be redone.
When customers see complaints are addressed and solved, trust and loyalty are built. Customers feel assured that if they encounter any issues in the future, the business will resolve them quickly. This helps customers to make purchases again and ensures they think favourably about the brand.
It Improves Customer Service Skills
Dealing with complaints requires specific customer service skills — namely, empathy, patience, critical thinking, and communication. The more agents practice resolving complaints, the better they’ll get at calming anger, identifying root problems, and turning less-than-satisfied customers into happy ones.
Complaints only come from a small portion of customers so regular interactions with customer service probably aren’t enough to hone abilities in managing complaints. A proper department of complaints makes sure agents get this necessary skill. This means that the customer experience will improve in all areas.
It Prevents Public Complaints
A poor complaints process can be a brand's worst nightmare in the days of social media. When customers think their problem is not being sorted through the proper channels, they end up complaining on public forums. Twitter (X), Facebook, and review sites like Trustpilot all offer platforms for expressing bad experiences and discouraging others from using a company.
Public complaints reach a bigger audience, which shapes opinion and can affect sales. When customers are sure that your complaints system is responsive and a good way to get a positive outcome, they are less likely to go public with damaging complaints. They get pleasure from satisfaction through private resolution channels.
It Adheres to Consumer Protection Regulations
In many places, the law requires businesses to manage complaints in a certain way. For instance, in the U.K., the Consumer Protection Regulations state that complaints must be acknowledged and resolved quickly. If you do not comply with such regulations, you will be fined heavily.
Having tough internal processes in place, such as acknowledgment receipts for complaints and resolution time tracking, ensures the business meets any legislation compliance. This stops legal problems later and keeps the good name of the company.
It Can Improve Customer Retention
According to a Harvard Business School study, the probability of a customer switching brands is four times higher than that of a satisfied customer. Also, the chances of selling to an existing satisfied customer is 60–70%, and to a new customer, it is only 5–20%.
Statistics show just how much customer dissatisfaction and complaints can move the needle on retention. 69% of customers will return to retailers that offer good customer service, while 32% said they would cease doing business with a brand after just one negative experience. If complaints systems are in place, many existing relationships will be maintained at the end of the day. It costs much more to lose a customer than it does to keep them, so it’s worth investing in complaint resolution.
It Improves SEO
A well-advertised and easily locatable complaints process for websites can help improve your search engine rankings. How? Customers can leave a review on websites such as Trustpilot, and then Google will rank that. Many negative comments on these sites drag down rankings on search engines.
When a business has a good internal complaints process, customers have an attractive alternative to making public complaints. This results in fewer poor external reviews that hurt SEO. It also indicates to search engines that the company values customers, which is an SEO best practice.
It Gathers Data for Improvement
A complaint-handling system collects useful data that can be analysed to identify significant customer pain points. The complaints data should be divided by product, service, region, etc. Customer service teams can use the complaints information to identify patterns and recurring problems that require action.
A little change like amending what the shipping information says could eliminate a common complaint. If you don’t capture complaints data, you’ll never be able to identify such improvements.
It Helps Personalise the Service
When complaints data is in the centralised customer interactions database, companies get a better idea of the customer’s unique service history and needs. Records of prior problems give insight into the context of the complaint and background information. This helps them address the situation in a much more personal manner.
Businesses can use complaints data to figure out future problems. When employees notice a customer complaining about shipping delays for many of their past orders, they can ensure the next order ships fast. This makes the customer feel like they are known and cared for, rather than treated impersonally.
It Brings in Loyal Customers
Research shows that loyalty is boosted when problems are resolved quickly and satisfactorily. Almost 9 out of 10 customers will appreciate a brand taking care of an issue promptly. On the other hand, complaints left unresolved make customers disloyal, likely to switch brands and share their negative impressions.
Customers are likely to return for more business if their complaints are promptly solved. When it’s time to buy again, the customer recalls the great service. When customers enjoy your brand, they are willing to recommend that company to friends and family. This is especially true if they are satisfied with the resolution of their issue.
It Saves Other Departments Time
If you don’t have a complaints department, a lot of complaints get lost. If customers call for complaints and they are not fixed, they call back again, getting more frustrated each time. Customers end up calling back again and again, which takes up a massive amount of the service agents' time who have to take these repeated calls instead of serving new customers. Issues that don’t get resolved take up hours of sales, operations, logistics, and other elements.
It Allows the Management of Expectations
An expert complaints handler can set and manage customer expectations during the process. Right from the beginning, they set realistic timeframes for investigating and resolving the complaint. When delays occur, they tell the customer promptly and give them a new timeline.
Managing expectations beforehand is a great way to reduce any frustration customers feel when problems are not fixed in time. Keeping customers informed helps them feel valued instead of neglected. It also maximizes the chances of customers being satisfied with the final resolution.
It Builds Customer Trust
If managed correctly, complaints can instill more trust in a customer towards a brand. While this may seem counterintuitive, the process indicates that the business cares enough to listen, apologise for faults, and strive to improve. Customers believe that this attitude will remain in future interactions.
Research by Accenture shows us that 95% of customers are more loyal to companies that manage problems well and with empathy. Sometimes, complaints result in even greater engagement when, for example, a customer becomes your referral or posts about you positively online after you have resolved a bad experience.
Conclusion
To summarise, if your business has a website, you should pay attention to introducing an effective complaints system. Hearing and resolving consumer complaints can do wonders. It shows customers that their voice matters harmonizes insights into the problems of its users, resolves issues, and builds trust and loyalty of customers.
Guest article written by Simon Wright
 Simon Wright is an experienced casino player and analyst with more than 15 years in the iGaming industry. He is an avid researcher with knowledge spanning land-based and online game offerings. Being part of the leading percentage of casino experts, Simon can confidently run detailed analyses on all betting genres, including sports events. He loves to shine the light of clarity on gambling events and games. This is a passion he is not ready to trade away anytime soon.
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