This week I want to look at how far businesses should go to make amends when a customer has a legitimate complaint.

The starting point here is that even if a business boasts 100 per cent reviews on its feedback page, things do not always go perfectly.

And, as I mentioned, good customer service goes a long way in winning over not only the unhappy customer, but it can also help attract new customers.

While businesses strive to succeed, they need to plan for every eventuality, and one of those is how to deal with complaints.

Many have set procedures for a variety of scenarios, from discounts, refunds and replacements, to offering something that adds extra value to the experience, such as a complimentary product or service as a way of making amends.

Whether it is goods or services, everything today centres around the customer experience, from how long they have to wait in a queue in a shop or on the phone or to get on to a website, how long something takes to get there and the quality when it does arrive.

As we are finally enjoying going back into pubs and restaurants again, food is a topical example, especially as it generates personal and emotive responses – far more so than discovering the set of glasses you ordered have arrived broken.

Because food is so subjective, the margin for disappointment is wider. When we go for a meal, we are going to enjoy the whole experience. The ultimate aim is to have something delicious that you haven’t had to prepare and cook yourself, there’s no washing up, and you can relax and enjoy spending special time with friends and family.

If you have ordered steak, and it is full of fat and gristle, it is not only the food that leaves a bad taste – the entire experience becomes a disappointment. And that is what you remember the next time you think about where to eat out.

If something like this happens, restaurants have different options to try and rectify it. It could offer a replacement, although this takes time and others at your table will probably have finished by the time it arrives.

They could knock the price of the meal off the bill, but that still leaves the disappointment of not having what you were looking forward to.

Equally, one spoiled meal cannot mean that the restaurant foots the food and drinks bill for the entire table. There has to be a happy medium that suits everyone.

Just because it doesn’t meet your expectations, does not automatically mean that the restaurant is at fault. But neither does it mean that if there is a disagreement, the chef or manager should take the ‘manage your expectations’ line. It might be a local pub and not a Michelin-starred restaurant, but the food still has to be enjoyable.

And I know people are only too quick to post negative reviews on websites and social media, with many probably shared while they are still at the table.

With fatty steak-gate, the staff have to think quickly and be accommodating, but also realistic.

The bottom line for me is that I want to leave that restaurant full, thinking about the fantastic food I had just enjoyed. The steak might have been a disaster, but a bit of agile customer service can quickly turn the situation around.

In a case like this, a restaurant would be pleased to receive the following review: “Lovely evening catching up with family at our local. Was really looking forward to the steak which was full of fat, but they quickly swapped it for hunter’s chicken which was to die for! Threw in a hot chocolate brownie sundae and now I can’t move!”

That way, everyone’s happy.

#customerservice #complaint #refund #reviews #feedback