When you are a business owner, your worst fear is the customer who complains. It is very hard not to become defensive and think that they are too picky, chronic complainers or just impossible to please. But if you can get past the uncomfortable feelings and not take it personally, complaints can be one of the most effective ways to improve your business practices and create loyal customers.
Why you should be happy to hear complaints
Research has shown that only a small percentage of customers actually complain. The cost of not dealing with that complaint effectively can add up and is well documented. The AMA Handbook for Customer Satisfaction (Alan Dutka, American Marketing Association, Chicago, 1994) estimates that up to 95% of dissatisfied customers choose not to complain.
So every time a customer at your lodging property tells you they had expected an in-room coffee maker and were not happy, think of 95 others standing behind them, nodding their heads in agreement.
You can’t turn back time (cue Cher song)
Customers choose not to complain for many reasons – it’s too much trouble, they don’t think it will change anything if they complain, or as often happens in the tourism industry, the service or product that made them unhappy is not refundable.
If you offer boat tours and the staff is not friendly and there is no narration about the history of the area, or what you are seeing on the tour, your customers won’t ask for their money back. They will just go home and not recommend you.
That is what sets the tourism industry apart from those that sell products. If you buy a lamp and it doesn’t work, you simply return it to the store with a receipt and get your money back. Unhappy tourism customers have lost time and money; both precious resources.
Complaints on social media
I was at a social media conference recently and there was a question from a DMO ( Destination Marketing Organization) This agency was being encouraged to develop their social media plan for the county tourism businesses. However, she was also being told by her bosses that they didn’t want anyone to be able to post anything negative about a business and her question was how to control the customer’s input. The short answer was that you can’t.
My opinion is that there are many ways for customers to voice their opinions such at Trip Advisor, Yelp or even YouTube. The internet has made it easier for people to tell others about their experience. Businesses that don’t do a good job should not be in business and trying to mask complaints only creates more unhappy customers.
My suggestion would be to monitor social media sites for complaining customers. Many companies, such as Southwest Airlines and Constant Contact have employees dedicated to this task – finding consumer complaints and solving them. The result? Happy customers who then tell their friends and online network how their complaint was handled.
Learn from your customers
The requirement of listening to customer complaints has another advantage. It will give you information on providing new goods or services that your customers want.
If your customers tell you they think your menu should have more local foods, they are giving you ideas on how to create a competitive advantage over your competition.
I have my car serviced at the dealership where I purchased it. Every time I take it in for service, I tell them I wish they would wash and vacuum my car before I pick it up. They laugh and joke about it but I am giving them information on something additional I am willing to pay for.
For a busy person like myself, having them take a job off my “to do” list, would make me an even more loyal customer.
Final thoughts
So get a pad of paper and start writing down what your customers are telling you – or telling others. Don’t simply ask ” How was everything today?” That will usually elicit the standard “Fine”, whether it was or not. Start being brave and asking – “what could we have done that would improve your experience next time?” Then take a deep breath, and listen.
Are you looking for some additional help?
Fill Your Parking Lot: 5 Secrets to Getting more Group Tours is an online course I created so you can learn more about how to get group tours coming through your doors. It’s only $97 and you can learn more about it by clicking here.
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