Selling Today: Partnering to Create Value, 14/e

Partnering with an Unhappy Customer

1. 15.5 Explain how to deal effectively with complaints

We have learned that unhappy customers often do not initiate a verbal or written complaint. This means that postsale problems may not come to the attention of salespeople or other personnel within the organization. We also know that unhappy customers do share their negative experiences with other people. A dissatisfied customer often tells 8 to 10 people about his problem.35 A double loss occurs when the customer stops buying our products and takes steps to discourage other people from buying our products. When complaints do surface, we should view the problem as an opportunity to strengthen the business relationship. Conflict resolution is another aspect ...