[Complaint Case Sharing]Handle Complaint Caused by Salesmen Providing Wrong Information

Last week we discussed a complaint case caused by salesmen providing wrong information and proposed a few questions, here I will share some suggestions to the question. Based on the feedbacks from overseas colleagues, I summarized the handling solution for such complaints. If the article is fortunate enough to help you in daily work, it must be the benefit of brainstorm. Below I will make a summary of your suggestions, and then followed by 3-4 wonderful suggestion for each question.
 
As after-sales team, how to handle those complaints caused by salesmen providing wrong information to customer? (The premise is that the customer complained is verified to be true)
Handling Principle:
1. Solution should go before reason exploration.
2. Response fast and keep follow-up.
Externally (To customer): appease customer at the first place—provide correct information—learn customer request—meet customer requirement as much as possible base on company policy.
Internally: contact involved team to understand the story, hand over the case to the involved team and keep follow up the results (pay attention to timeliness), as well as inform the supervisor / HQ. Investigate the root cause of such complaint and establish improvement and prevention mechanisms.
 

Lesson learned from this case

1. Every team needs to ensure that the user is provided with correct information, and adhere to our corporate culture. A clear regulatory mechanism is required for the sales team.
2. CC agents should increase the sensitivity of the complaints and report to the superiors in a timely manner; the users contact the CC 3 times to but only got reply “case is forwarded to relevant department”, the template is solidified and not friendly.
3. Complaint owners need to clarify their responsibilities: responsible for the handling of the entire complaint case, need to coordinate the resources of all parties, give a reasonable solution; when complaint involves other departments, it is necessary to cooperate with other departments to promote the resolution. After hand over the case to the relevant department, it is necessary to actively follow up the final processing result.
 

Below are some of your opinion

Q1: How do you handle those complaints caused by salesmen providing wrong information to customer?
A1: First we apologized to customer for this wrong information from salesman. Then we provide actual information to user. If still customer is not satisfied then, we deal according to customer requirement. In general there is no refund in our country. So we change another model as per customer requirement.  If we received this type complain. Then apologize to customer on behalf of sales promoter for giving wrong information. Then try to understand customer request and explain our actual service policy. We give first priority to solve customer problem from our own responsibility.
A2: No matter who should take the responsibility, or whether customer exaggerated. After learn the actual story, we should meet customer requirement as much as possible. After solving customer issue, then we can investigate internally.
A3: 1. Firstly check CCTV to learn sales situation, if customer description is true that promoter provided wrong information to customer, we will request store to refund. 2. If customer description is not true, we will explain to customer that we didn’t provide wrong information to customer and we have CCTV record to prove. But will also ask store for other service remedy, such as pay for price difference for new phone, extend warranty period, provide small gift.

Q2: When handling complaints, “investigate internal causes and responsible persons” and “solve customer problem”, which one is more urgent?
A1: Based on our corporate culture, we should response to customer at the first place. When some cases are nonrelated to our department, we should also hand over and follow result timely. Dealing with the user's problems in real work can calm the user's emotions and avoid further deterioration of the situation. Investigating internal causes and responsible persons cannot solve customer problems directly and efficiently.
 A2: Customer complaint is very bad for company image. If customer go to shop and quarrel with promoter that will give negative feedback to other customer. The sale will hamper. That's why we need to solve customer problem first. We can deal internal investigation later.
A3: Providing solution to solve customer’s actual concern is the most important because the longer we let customers to wait, the easier it can turn to a crisis and then we have to spend lot of time and resource to minimize its cause effects.
 
Q3: Is it reasonable that complaint handling specialist closed the complaint order after forwarding the case to other department?
A1: When you close such cases, you have to ensure that solution was already given to the client and that the sales team are already doing their part within the time frame.
A2: Claim can be closed only when root cause is identified and when customer got a solution that is satisfying

Q4: In your opinion, what can we learn from this case? Or what improvements need to perform in this case?
A1: We need to focus on promoter's training. They should not give wrong information to sell a product. And we should improve the process of complaint solving to make it time efficient. We shouldn't pass the complaint back and forth. We should come forward and take responsibility to solve customer problem.
A2: Strengthen communications with other departments. Complaint case escalation and general case escalation need to follow up with the results before they can end.
A3: In our Company family all should do proper work .need to guide customer properly for our reputation, and must flow our corporate culture.
A4: We need to have more communication, responsibility of chasing up/following up a complaint case. When a complaint is raised, we need to validate the trueness of the complaint issue and reply with a resolution for customer the soonest possible. This is for customers satisfactory on the service experience from our company. Any internal errors and etc. should not be the reason to delay customer’s resolution.