Putting things right

Step 5: Putting things right

Putting things right at an early stage gives you a greater chance of satisfying a customer – and saves you time!

Use complaints as opportunities to look at what you can do to improve the way things are done - even if you have not made a mistake

What else can you do to put things right?

Be inventive - impress your customers with your creative solutions to complaints! What about arranging a special day out for a family disadvantaged by unreasonable delays in delivering a high value service to them? You may want to invite a customer who shows an active interest in your products or services to be a ‘mystery shopper’ for you.

Assessing compensation payments

When assessing compensation think about the following:

Has the customer’s own actions or lack of action added to the problem?
Has money due to the customer not been paid?
Has our mistake caused the customer to, quite reasonably, incur costs?
Has our mistake caused the loss of a non-monetary benefit for the customer?
Has something owned by the customer lost value because of our mistake?
Has our mistake caused the customer to miss an opportunity to do something?
Has our mistake caused inconvenience, stress, anxiety, frustration, worry or uncertainty to the customer?
Has our mistake led to the customer having to pay for professional advice?
Have you checked whether any statutory regulations or contractual agreements require the payment of compensation to the customer?
Has the customer been put to considerable time and trouble in pursuing the complaint?
How long did we take to resolve the matter?
How much time and effort was required by the customer?
What difficulties did the customer experience?
How inadequate were our previous responses?
Did we act deliberately as opposed to simply getting things wrong?
Did the customer incur any minor or generally un-quantified expenses? (significant postage or telephone costs, travel costs, loss of earnings and so on)

Use appropriate wording

Do you need to use words like “full and final settlement” or “without prejudice”?
If compensation should be paid – pay it! Why “offer” compensation when you have assessed the amount to be paid?
Give a time limit for the customer to receive any payment

What can you do to put things right?

Say sorry to the customer
Provide a service or replacement product to the customer
Provide information or an explanation to the customer
Review customer literature (leaflets, poster, FAQ and so on)
Review your working processes
Request a review of a policy
Arrange employee training or guidance
Employee action
Pay compensation or give a refund
Always try to put the customer back to the position that he or she would have been in but for the mistake
If the customer has made a mistake, be tactful, and give guidance for the future.
Be prepared to carry a feeling of uncertainty... But not a doubt that you have acted unfairly!