The 5 Most Common Reasons for Customer Complaints: And What You Can Do to Stop Them
For most people, the internet is a large part of their lives. In fact, any time they have a question, need information or want to make a purchase, this is where they go.
What some business owners don’t realize is that while the internet is a great place to reach customers and provide them what they are looking for, there are things that may keep customers away. One of these things is bad reviews or excessive complaints. Up to 88 percent of customers are swayed not to make a purchase from a company that didn’t address an online complaint left by a past customer.
In addition to addressing complaints, it’s also important to learn from them. Knowing why complaints are left is a huge part of the battle. Learn more about this here.
1. Not Keeping the Promises Made
If a business makes a promise (even a small one) they need to make sure they keep it. While some promises sound great, if they aren’t kept, it is only going to lead to multiple complaints, distrust among customers and many people switching to the competition.
After all, would you place another order with a company that didn’t deliver in a timely manner? Most people are well-aware of the answer to this question.
2. Poor Customer Service
If your customer service representatives don’t receive the proper training, or if they keep your customers waiting for long periods of time without fixing their problems, then this is poor customer service.
In addition to ensuring your staff is able to address your customer’s concerns and needs, you should also implement other modes of communication, such as email, a helpdesk ticketing system and even communication via social channels.
3. Transferring a Customer From One Representative to Another
If your staff isn’t properly trained, then it may also lead to chats or calls being transferred from one of your agents to another. There is nothing more frustrating for a customer than having to tell their story over and over again.
When businesses aren’t careful, and they don’t put time and effort into developing a great CSR team, the human side of things can also lead to complaints.
4. Hidden Information and Costs
You need to always make sure you are completely transparent when it comes to your customers. If you keep some of your fees hidden and then reveal these in the middle of their purchase, chances are, the customer is going to complain.
If you are doing this on a regular basis, your company may get the reputation that you are trying to cheat your customers. This isn’t a good place to be.
5. Subpar Services or Products
When you promise that you will provide high quality services and products to your customers, and then deliver items that are subpar, chances are this is a complaint your customers are going to take public. Social media is one of the most common venting channels for issues like this.
Remember the key to satisfied customers – under promise, over deliver. This will keep people coming back to do business with you time and time again.
It is estimated that a single customer will tell at least 15 people about a poor experience they have with a brand or business. Don’t you want to avoid all this bad publicity? If so, it’s time to take the necessary steps to ensure that you avoid some of the most common complaints. Knowing what these causes are is the best way to ensure your customers are highly satisfied.
