1. Don’t react emotionally. It’s a proven method not to react on a complaint right away. Be prepared to listen when it’s a non-written complaint. Make notes of everything and promise to call back within x hours or days.
  2. Always fulfill your promises and always respect deadlines.
  3. Never only react in writing. It is proof of elementary courtesy and customer friendliness to at least give the customer a short phone call to elucidate your reply.
  4. Be grateful for the fact that the customer even bothers informing you about his dissatisfaction. Don’t forget that this means the customer values the cooperation enough to give you another shot. Look at complaints as being chances!
  5. Learn from your mistakes. Create an overview of the most common complaints on a regular basis and think about a possible cause. This can lead to the “quick wins” to perform better in the future.