That's Horrible!

Abstract

When customers complain, our first instinct is to try to solve their problem. But customer complaints are multi-faceted, and solving the problem only rids the customer of the technical aspect of the issue. Customers who call in to complain are emotionally invested as well. In order to maintain strong customer relationships, we must focus first on the impact the problem has had on the client's emotions. Ignoring this impact can be detrimental to your relationship, even if the technical side of the problem can be solved quickly and painlessly. Acknowledge, recommit and plan for action (ARP) is a recipe for dealing with customer complaints in an efficient and effective manner, both technically and emotionally.