How accessible is your company?
Every complaint is an opportunity
Every food company’s mission is to market high-quality, tasty products. This is generally the case. However, zero risk does not exist. It is therefore always possible that a consumer has a complaint about your product. How do you ensure that the consumer reaches your consumer service? What is the best way to handle such a complaint?
A severe complaint usually sets alarm bells ringing... while in fact, this complaint is an opportunity to get in touch with someone who chooses your brand/product.
The recipient of the call/email/message should treat the severe complaint with extra care and empathy to show that you take it seriously. There is a breach of trust that needs repairing.
Effective complaint handling may ensure that the consumer becomes an ambassador of your brand/product. It is likely that the consumer will spread a positive story about your approach and professionalism.
Be more accessible for consumer feedback
As a food company you market products and consumer feedback (both positive and negative) is more than welcome. In order to enter into dialogue with your consumers, you need to offer them various channels:
- a contact form on your website
- a number consumers can call
- an email address for complaints
- or a Facebook page
This way, consumers can contact you in a way that they feel most comfortable with.
Communicate over the phone
Did they contact you via the website, email or Facebook page? Then take the conversation offline by immediately asking for a phone number. This way, you have direct contact. The advantage is that, as an employee, you can immediately assess the seriousness of the situation and hear whether the person is angry/frustrated. The consumer can also vent first. Moreover, the consumer immediately has personal contact. The 'company' is now represented by a name and a voice.
Be accessible at all times, also at weekends and in the evening
Consumers do not only eat your product during office hours. Make sure that an urgent complaint can still reach someone on duty.
Being on duty on your consumer line outside of office hours, during weekends and on public holidays. In case of urgent complaints, consumers can call the Food Security consumer line. We will make a first assessment and then notify you.
Training first-line employees.
Our coronaproof alternative consists of 3 parts:
- E-learning: The participant processes the theory independently
- An individual coaching conversation: practising role plays
- A quiz: testing the acquired knowledge.
Training employees who have physical contact with consumers. It happens that staff members go and collect foreign bodies/products from the consumer. It is then of the utmost importance how to deal with a sensitive conversation.
Learning points
First aid for consumer complaints
When receiving a sensitive consumer complaint, a swift response is key. Proper complaint management directly affects consumer confidence in your brand and products.
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