First Line: so long, web form?
Food companies’ customer service handles complaints on a daily basis. They should be prepared for every scenario. When a complaint is not carefully handled, it may turn into a crisis. This is where a personal approach is the key to success.
At times, it comes down to a simple question. Other times, the consumer might address a more serious health issue. Moreover, the consumer may become aggressive, threaten you personally or refuse cooperation.
Speed vs personality: a delicate balance
The food sector is very prone to consumer complaints. Their staff spends hours dealing with all queries on a daily basis. Efficiency is therefore - very understandably so - a necessity. However, the power of the consumer is growing. Nowadays, due to the Internet, they tend to be more vocal and critical; they expect answers.
We notice that some companies have replaced their customer service by a web form, an evolution that we do not like to encourage. Such an impersonal approach is at odds with the needs of the modern consumer. A call centre may be a better intermediate solution, provided it has a good escalation to the company in case of sensitive complaints.
First aid for hotheads
Consumers feel empowered by their growing power. They may refuse any cooperation, become suspicious or even threaten with media and legal action. Recently, this happened to a large food producer of ready meals.
A consumer was very frustrated with the expiry date on the packaging of a meal box. He found two different dates: one on the box and one on the inner packaging. Thereupon, he contacted the customer service and accused the company of fraud.
The explanation that it was the expiry date (on the outside) and the production date (on the inside) did not suffice. He was very suspicious and threatened to take further action. Moreover, he could not get a Dutch-speaking contact person on the phone, which added to his frustration.
He eventually was able to reach a Dutch-speaking employee, but the damage had been done. He continued to rant on about his distrust of "multinationals" and threatened to "go viral" on social media. This case highlights the need for quick and personal complaint handling, especially with consumers who are not ready to compromise.
Missing: sender
In the previous case, it came down to a simple confusion and, if escalated, there were probably minimal consequences for the company. But what if it concerned a life-threatening situation? Take, for example, a very serious incident at a beverage company, where a consumer ended up in the hospital after drinking a beverage.
The emergency doctor notified the brand's quality department. He mentioned that the bottle had a chemical smell to it and that the drink was foaming.
The brand's quality department asked the doctor for the patient’s contact details and whether he would be willing to give up the bottle for examination. The doctor responded that the patient refused and intended to file a complaint. A tricky case.
In this case, there are many possible scenarios and further investigation is needed to take further steps. But when the consumer refuses to provide information, it is not an easy task. In any case, the producer must find out the cause of the incident as soon as possible while maintaining consumer confidence.
What can we learn from these incidents?
Keep the lines of communication open
How do you keep your finger on the pulse of consumers when they communicate through a web form? Personal contact is a must in difficult conversations. Provide appropriate training in sensitive conversations and consider guidelines for all scenarios:
- verbal aggression
- refusal of cooperation by the consumer
- press contact
- promises and compensation
- …
Prepare for aggression
First Line staff may face physical or psychological abuse. It may involve consumers, but also public protests or boycotts. Some tips:
- recognise the type of aggression (frustration or instrumental aggression)
- stay calm in case of frustration aggression
- always report incidents to managers
- work at the customer department with a false name
- always enquire about the consumer's further expectations
In addition, document events and offer support to employees after traumatic conflicts.
Remain open and transparant
When a consumer threatens to call for the authorities, do not hold off the boat, but point out their right to do so. The message should be: "We operate transparently and take the appropriate steps in the investigation, so we have nothing to hide."
Reflect before reimbursing
Vouchers are popular reimbursements, but after a traumatic complaint, consumers may not want to buy your products at all, quite the opposite in fact. Appropriate compensation may help calm tempers. So think carefully about how to reimburse and check in with the consumer beforehand.
How can we help you?
Follow our First Line training
In this training, we focus on your employees' first reaction to sensitive issues. We train them to detect and handle a potential crisis. The aim is to strengthen incident and crisis awareness within your organisation. On the programme:
- contact with the outside world
- dealing with difficult consumers
- dealing with the press
- interactive exercises
Want to zoom in on dealing with difficult customers? Then check out our in-depth training course 'Sensitive Dialogue'.
White paper ‘First Line’
We will soon publish a white paper on First Line. We will elaborate on different aspects of first-line communication, including dealing with aggression and difficult consumer complaints. We illustrate our practical tips with cases from the field.
Would you like to be the first to receive this white paper for free? Subscribe to our waiting list below.
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