6 ways to benefit from customer complaints

Citation

(2006), "6 ways to benefit from customer complaints", Strategic Direction, Vol. 22 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/sd.2006.05622cad.007

6 ways to benefit from customer complaints

6 ways to benefit from customer complaints

ScriabinaN., FomichovS. Quality Progress (USA), September 2005, Vol. 38 No. 9, Start page: 49, No. of pages: 6

Purpose – To advise service companies on how to obtain advantages from customer complaints. Design/methodology/approach – Presents the advice as six practical ideas, advocates seeing complaints as opportunities, and provides a test to identify employees’ attitudes toward complaints. Recommends that service organizations encourage customers to express dissatisfaction, states that only 4 percent of dissatisfied customers complain, the remainder going to competitors, and contends that organizations must see themselves from the customer perspective, and must focus the complaint handling process on customer needs. Endorses maintenance of a formal record-keeping process, training of employees and adoption of world-class practices by applying ISO9004 quality management to complaint handling, tabulates ISO9004 principles of customer focus, leadership, people involvement, process approach, system approach to management, continuous improvement, fact-based decision making and mutually beneficial supplier relationships, and relates these principle to the complaint handling task. Originality/value – Important operation warranting application of quality management principles.

Style: General reviewISSN: 0033-524XReference: 34AW362

Keywords: Complaints, Customer orientation, Employee attitudes, Service industries, Service quality assurance