To get an insight on how e-commerce businesses succeed in meeting their customer needs, it is helpful to check out the feedback received on a daily basis, which is usually provided in a form of a phone call, e-mail or as a review on Facebook.
Customer complaints are typically defined as unfulfilled expectations that help to discover the gaps linked to customer service or the quality of the product or the service. Negative feedbacks are inevitable, and although they may not sound encouraging at first, receiving them is a great opportunity for businesses to grow.
Why Do Complaints Have Such Great Value?
Discrete complaints may not always give a clear idea of whether the business is facing an issue. For one client an e-shop would look like a very convenient and attractive tool, for another—not so much. Even one identical product can get a whole spectrum of opinions from customers.
However, when complaints become repetitive or start highlighting a single problematic area, it is worth taking notice. Collecting the most noticeable complaints helps to reassess what is there to be changed or implemented so that the better quality of product or service would be shared among a greater number of clients.
Stronger Bond With Clients
Instead of leaving a complaint, statistics show that up to 96% of the clients simply quit using the product or service after any unpleasant experience. This means that only a very small percentage of people report deficiencies they find, in hopes that the problem would soon be resolved.
Taking notice of these customer complaints and observations, however, can establish a stronger bond and greater loyalty between a client and a company. When a complaint appears in the public domain, but adequate actions are taken immediately, such situation publicly shows the way businesses take care of their customers and, in a best-case scenario, it establishes reliability.
In order to demonstrate that the customer has been heard and his or her opinions are appreciated, it is worth to:
- respond to the complaint as fast as possible;
- maintain a polite tone and not to take the complaint personally;
- apologize and, when possible, provide a customer-friendly solution;
- thank for the customer’s remarks and, if possible, take them into account.
Product Development
Specific reviews from the clients, indicating what kind of product qualities they do or do not appreciate, give an opportunity to either improve the current product or create a new one, which would satisfy customer needs at a higher rate. Thus, highlighted drawbacks will surely indicate a more specific developmental direction for the product.
Filled-up Gaps
In e-commerce, business gaps can be found in every aspect of the service. Product delivery that is too slow, cumbersome payment process, or perhaps missing return policy guidelines? No matter what was left uncompleted or did not fulfill customer expectations, it will surely be quickly noticed in a form of reviews or complaints. Reacting to these negative feedbacks on time can successfully fulfill many gaps in the service.
Information About Competitors
Independently of what the clients complain about—unpleasant communication, poor product quality, slow delivery service or e-shop lacking a convenient payment method— all of this indicates that the other e-commerce businesses possibly provide better customer service solutions in those specific areas.
Customers usually expect what they have already experienced, thus thanks to the provided feedback, businesses have a chance to get better acquainted with the proposals used by their competitors. Therefore, by taking the complaints into account it is possible not only to mend the weak sides of the business but also to stand out among others.
Ending Note
At first glance, customer complaints do not look like something positive or attractive, but they also indicate that the clients are thinking about the business and take it seriously. The complaints can be a perfect encouragement to take action. When properly responded to, they also become a valuable tool to increase the value of your brand.