No business is immune from complaints. Sometimes they are completely justified, sometimes they seem frivolous in the extreme. Whatever the nature of the complaints, it is vital that the individuals dealing with them have a thorough soft skills training so that they can minimise any bad feelings and maybe even turn complaints into sales.

It is not practical to be constantly training but it is good to remind yourself of many of the basics which you need to bear in mind when dealing with unhappy customers.

First of all, however rude and obnoxious the behaviour of the complainant seems, don’t be tempted to match that person’s behaviour. Don’t raise your voice. Don’t match those negative attitudes. If you do, you will lose your objectivity and make more work for yourself.

Don’t get into ‘the blame game’. You certainly shouldn’t attempt to blame the customer. If you blame your colleagues, your business will simply appear unprofessional.

Never blame ‘the system’. Systems are operated by people. It may be that your internal systems make certain things difficult. However, that should not become the customer’s problem. After all the customer is already feeling frustrated. Be open and honest with your customer and agree actions and time scales.