Either there is a goodwill arrangement for the customer, or not. But to let customers feel that they don’t deserve a concession in my opinion is unprofessional.

Every now and then I write an article because I am angry. So I do today. Yesterday I went to the telephone repair shop and made a complaint. After a few days, the new protection-foil for my mobile phone had a dent, although the phone was always kept well in my handbag.

I explained the situation to the salesperson as well as my suspicion that it had not been attached properly and had been caught somewhere in my pocket. The prompt answer: “The phone has been dropped.” I resisted, because I definitely didn’t drop my phone. The clerk replied: “I’ll fix the foil for you. But this is definitely a dent from a drop. We know what it looks like.”

In the end I got my new foil, but with the bad feeling of being accused of lying. When I resisted again afterwards, the salesman admitted that the mobile phone could have bumped into something in my bag. After all, I can’t really rule that out.

Here is, what I suggest:

1. If you decide to act generous, then please do so with conviction and friendliness.
2. Of course, a customer may and should know that a special solution is being found for him. In fact, I think that’s very important. But you can communicate that in a very friendly matter. For example: “The situation is not entirely clear. But I’ll be happy to solve it for you.” And a smile doesn’t hurt either.
3. When in doubt, decide in favour of the customer. If it is not clear whether the customer has done something wrong or not, a discussion about guilt is not only difficult but also pointless.

But there also was another aspect to this situation. I expressed my concern convinced that a mistake was made during assembly. The salesman, as he later told me, thought I was rude: “If you talk to me like this…”. I know for a fact that although I was not overly friendly, I was just clear and described what happened. I can act quite different, I can assure you ;-).

I personally believe that many people in service and sales take things personaly way too fast. I also hear this in my seminars. When a customer complains, it is not personal. They would complain the same way to everybody else. And of course they are not happy if something goes wrong. That’s why they won’t arrive with a smile on their face. Quite understandable if you ask me! If you listen to the request in calmness and understanding – without necessarily admitting guilt – you will notice that the vast majority of customers calm down very quickly.

I know that many people with customer contact experience complaints as a great challenge. Small wonder, because they are often left on their own for years. Dear managers, please help your employees. Either teach them how to deal with such situations yourself or bring in a professional for one day to do it for you.