During my time at Creative Consillium as a business development intern I have learned more  and more how in today’s interconnected world, customers have more power and say than we  sometimes often realize. If customers have a positive customer experience, they will share this  experience with friends, family and connections, which in turn can lead to new business. The  best part being that all this is done at zero cost. Which as a business developer is a great thing,  and makes our jobs so much easier.  

But sometimes things can go wrong, whether it is your fault or as a result of a misunderstanding  and what happens if you fail to provide a positive customer experience?  The answer is simple. Customers will complain.

According to research by Esteban Kolsky, 13% of unhappy customers will share their complaint  with 15 or more people. And as for the customers that don’t complain, they just stop doing  business with you and as a result will most likely ask others not to do business with you as well.

13% of unhappy customers will share their complaints with 15 or more people

I remember a time while working with Creative Consillium where I was tasked with creating 5 website reviews for 5 different websites, all for the same customer. This was way more than  usual, and I had gotten pretty comfortable with the rhythm of how to do them. Needless to say, I  made a few errors that ended up leaving the customer very unhappy. However, this also allowed  me to learn how to fix my mistakes and deal with an angry customer. A customer complaint  highlights a problem, whether that's a problem with your product, communication, employees, or any other factors that may be involved with your business. By hearing these problems directly  from your customers, you can investigate and improve to prevent further complaints in the  future. Simply put, a customer complaint can become very profitable when you can resolve their  problem quickly.

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Here's what I learned

In my case I learned the importance of ensuring my final product is flawless. I also learned how  to listen to the customer and offer solutions to their specific issue. Customer complaints are great ways to improve or change anything that may need to be addressed.  Listening goes a long way. As difficult as it may be to admit sometimes, “The customer is  always right.” They have complained for a reason and it is important to understand why they are  complaining. Take time to listen and understand what their problem is.  

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Apologize first

Next which may arguably be the most important is apologizing. I have learned the importance of  not being afraid to apologize for a mistake. Many customers are simply looking for an apology  and acknowledgement of their complaint, yet for some reason a lot of companies are hesitant to  admit they have done something wrong, A lot of research has been done to show that unhappy  customers are more willing to look past a mistake if an apology that sounds sincere is made.

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Find a lasting solution

Lasty, is finding a solution. Most large companies have a customer service team, however since  Creative Consillium is  small company, we are the customer service team. In our case our boss  and founder of the company issued the apology an came to find a solution to the issue, making  the necessary corrections and leaving the customer happy. At  Creative Consillium exceeding  expectations is something we pride ourselves in in every department of the company, so we  always make sure to go the extra step and check up on our clients. It’s these small details that  leave the customer with the assurance that you value them and their input.