No small business or large company wants to have bad customer service. And yet, there are countless businesses that aren’t at the top of their customer service game.

Even if you are a business with impeccable customer service, you are bound to get at least one customer complaint at some point. While it can be a total downer, there is a way to handle it correctly without launching into a sea of self-doubt.

Here’s how.

Look Past the Negativity

If you’re just starting your business, it can be scary! You’ve invested so much time, effort, and money into an uncertain venture. So when a customer complaint comes in, you may take it personally – like you have failed. But, complaints are quite the opposite.

Customer complaints are actually a way to improve your business.

While not every customer can articulate a complaint in an artful way, take any complaint with a grain of salt. These customers are providing information on how you can improve your business as well as your customer service tactics.

Rather than view complaints as a sign of failure, view them as an opportunity.

Try meeting with your team and listing every complaint you’ve received. That way, you can figure out ways to either address those problems in the future or come up with ways to respectfully resolve the issues.

Having a tried and true customer service plan in place will reduce the number of chances you or a team member feels totally lost or upset while dealing with a complaint.

Find a Balance

Most likely, your positive comments will far outweigh your negative comments. While we tend to focus and harp on negative reviews, don’t pass over the positive ones.

Not every happy customer will post a comment, especially if they are completely satisfied with the product or service. So when you do receive a glowing review, don’t ignore it!

Most companies try their hardest to please every customer but that’s just not possible. Your service or product will not be for everyone and that’s okay. While you should always try to provide your customer with the best possible experience, not every customer will be happy.

A common mistake businesses make is showing every single customer complaint to the entire team. Constantly focusing on negative comments or reviews will decrease morale – especially if they are shown as failures.

Since you don’t want your team to transfer negativity from past complaints to future customer interactions, always use customer complaints as a learning opportunity. Empower your team and train them to handle complaints the smart way so the issues are resolved the first time.

Don’t ignore customer complaints – study them and embrace them. When you begin to see the same complaints over and over, try getting to the root of the problem so you don’t receive those complaints anymore. Or, put specific procedures in place to handle specific situations.

And don’t forget about the positive reviews and comments! Celebrate them and use them to fuel new ideas and grow your business.

Speaking of growing your business, let Retaliate1st help you. We’re a full-service marketing and growth team that provides services such as performance marketing, business strategy, and more. Learn more about our services here.