161: Forging A Customer Complaints Strategy

A huge focus goes into forming a positive customer experience. But when things don’t go to plan, customers lodge a complaint. However, often customer service’s ways of working is only reliant on rigid policies. Instead, what if you had an intentional strategy about complaints built into your operating model? Oliver Banks is joined by The Complaining Cow, Helen Dewdney. Together, they explore how retailers and consumer-facing brands can support customers after a poor experience.

Listen to this episode to hear:

• The number one thing you can do to improve how to deal with complaints.
• How to deal with the risk of serial returners and scam customers.
• Examples of how to positively handle complaints – and why that can be a winning approach.

 

 

Introducting Helen Dewdney

Helen Dewdney is The Complaining Cow. She is a trusted consumer champion, journalist, blogger, bestselling author and consultant. And as a consumer champion she regularly hears from consumers about what frustrates them and the improvements they would like to see.

Helen works with businesses to increase sales by improving customer service through customer insights and perspectives. She shows how to do this with compassion, care and integrity. In turn, retailers can reduce reputation and financial risk as well as improve the impact for vulnerable customers. And in turn, you can turn your customers into fans who will do the heavy lifting of marketing for you.

Helen regularly appears in the media talking about complaining and customer service. She is frequently seen and heard on BBC TV and radio as well as in national newspapers and magazines.

Find out more about Helen on her website, TheComplainingCow.co.uk along with the free downloadable guide: Customer Service: 5 ways to get rave reviews & referrals.

Connect with Helen Dewdney on LinkedIn or @ComplainingCow on Twitter.

Or search for her free Facebook group – Increase Sales through Customer Service with Care, Compassion & Integrity. A great place to share advice, ask questions or even have a rant!

More podcast episodes to listen to

There are many other episodes to check out – take a look through the archive. But here are some to get you started.

Firstly, listen to episode 68: How To Win Customers (part 1) and episode 69: (part 2), with RIchard Hammond and Rocky Howard explain why thinking of friction and reward can be more insightful than NPS.

Next listen to episode 97: Customer Centric Cultures featuring Martin Newman, the Consumer Champion. In this episode, Martin explores why you need to shift the mindset and perspective to become truly customer centric.

And finally, listen to episode 154: Avoiding Frontline Burnout with Axonify’s Liam O’Meara. Defining a complaints strategy will help you reduce stress on the frontline. So, find out more about how you can reduce stress and burnout in this episode.