Dealing with an angry complainer is not always a pleasant experience. But the way you handle a complaining customer can be crucial to your company. Seeing the complainer as an opportunity rather than a threat will bring success to your business!

The anger of the complainers often reflects that they are unsatisfied or disgruntled about their personal lives. Complainers are frustrated. Whether it is in their professional or personal life, the complainer can’t have peace of mind until someone listens to and acknowledges their concerns. Therefore the complainers don’t just want things to change, they need to be heard and acknowledged. They will make demands and might even make threats and want an explanation from your side.

Although the complaining customers seem to have a negative attitude towards your business they are asking you to help them remain a customer. If they didn't, they would walk across the street and be done with you. Customers who complain are giving you a chance to set things right - they are your most loyal customers. Have this in mind when dealing with them!

How to deal with the complainer

Try to understand what the complainer’s interests and needs are. To effectively dealing with a complainer use your empathy and listening skills. Let them know up front that you are on their side – do not ignore or argue with them, it will only make thing worse.

To acknowledge the complaining customers’ concerns let them keep talking until they have let out all their frustrations. This makes you discover that the real problem is. By paraphrasing and repeating their concerns back to them and using empathetic statements, such as “if I was in your situation I would be angry too”, you can let them know that you understand their situation.

Even if you already know that the person wants ask them what they think is the right thing for you to do. This will make them feel that they have control. Also, customers usually want less than you think. Agree upon and prove that you are serious. Apologize again and tell what will be done to prevent a reoccurrence.

How it improves your business

Customers who have had a problem and who have had it successfully resolved are more loyal customers than those who never had a problem. Think about it for a moment! If you have screw things up and fix it you demonstrate that you are not only consistent but the customer also discovers that you are insistent and sincere about delivering quality products and services.

When why are you handling customer complaints so poorly? Stop your fear – fear of taking the blame, fear of being ripped of by the customer. Your job is not to protect the company from the customers. Complainers are not a sign of failure. Complainers are opportunities that you have not seen yet. Use these opportunities to grow. If you saw them and failed to act, you don't deserve to have customers who are nice enough to volunteer their help.

To change the situation in your company the whole organization need to support this approach. Change will not come unless it is communicated and demonstrated by top management. Remember, complainers are friends. Just try to keep your list of this kind of friend as short as possible!