Part 4: Turning Complaints Into Growth Opportunities

Maybe your team misplaced a milestone during a sales surge. Maybe you mixed up two customers' bills. Maybe the line cook prepared a plate of chicken parmesan instead of chicken cacciatore. Or maybe an already-anxious client was simply on a short fuse from the beginning. Whatever the case, "things happen," and from these trying moments we have the option to sit idly by or to take control of the situation and use it to enhance our business models. In the latter case, you improve your standing with the individual customer, and, more importantly, you improve your reputation, thereby increasing your ability to close sales and grow as a company.

Certainly, it's no small task to keep clients happy and sustain a positive image, although the necessary investment in time and resources can come back to you in orders of magnitude. Here are some simple closing ideas for managing your complaints and reputation:

• Embrace social media. Facebook, Twitter, Yelp, Complaints Board, and other platforms are great tools to connect with consumers and broadcast your image.
• Use search engines like Google to monitor what's being published online about your business.
• Make time to address real problems internally, so they don't happen again.
• Issue brief surveys to customers, asking questions like "Where are our strengths?" and "Where could we make improvements?"
• Don't argue or encourage a scene. Instead, handle complaints as calmly and conscientiously as possible.
• Give employees who deal directly with clients the power to provide customer service and negotiations, and reward employees for handling complaints positively.

Thank you for taking the time to read our four part series and we welcome any and all feedback. Share your experiences with others or feel free to ask any questions. Perfection is a never ending process.