3 Most Common Types of Customer Complaints (and How to Avoid Them)

Like it or love it— no matter how great of a business you have, you can’t possibly keep everyone happy. Customer complaints are a part of running a business, so learning how to handle them is a must.

And while complaints may seem like nothing more than a nuisance, the truth is that customer complaints can be one of your greatest tools for growth.  Believe it or not, customer complaints can reveal areas where you have room for improvement that you never realized before.

In order to address these complaints correctly, it helps to know the most common ones to anticipate, and how to navigate them. Here are some of the most common types of customer complaints and how to avoid them happening in the first place.

Delivery Problems

Up at the top as one of the most common customer complaints is delivery problems. From damaged goods to late deliveries, there are all sorts of things that can go wrong in the delivery process.

In order to avoid these kinds of issues it’s important that you take the proper precautions. From hiring professional unloading services to shipping with a reliable carrier, there are plenty of things you can do to reduce your chances of delivery issues.

However, despite our best efforts, delivery issues can and do come up.  The best way to respond is by being fully transparent about the issue and taking action to rectify the problem. From offering tracking information to offering to replace the product, there are a few different ways that you can respond to customers’ delivery issues. The most important thing is that you respond promptly and provide a solution.

Billing Disputes

Billing disputes arise from time to time regardless of what kind of business we run, and regardless of how well we stay organized. Often billing disputes come down to simple misunderstandings and even technological bugs. Unfortunately, if there’s one thing people are uneasy about, it’s being charged incorrectly for something.

The best way to avoid these kinds of issues is to offer completely transparent pricing without any hidden fees, and clearly state your refund process. Above all, make sure that you work with reliable billing software that’s easy to use, and has top-notch IT support when issues come up.

Communication Errors

It’s rare that customers speak to the same customer service representative every time that they call your business. As such, information and details can get mixed up along the way. To avoid these kinds of mix-ups it’s important that each customer service representative takes detailed notes on each phone call.

Even though initially, leaving detailed notes every time a customer calls may seem pointless, sometimes even the smallest detail can make a world of difference in their overall customer experience.

That way, you know the next person who speaks with that customer can hit the ground running. The more detailed notes your team can leave, the less frustrated your customers will be, and the more likely they will be to be pleased with your business. When in doubt, write it down.