Shoe Business 101: Understanding Customer Complaints

No matter how hard you try to make your service excellent, it is still inevitable to receive a customer complaint at least once in a while. Whether it’s expressed in a calm way, or uttered with drama and loud voice, it is still up to the owner or the store manager how it can be resolved.

If you own a wholesale shoes store or retail store, you will be faced with different kinds of complaints - from damaged items, wrong sizes, missing embellishment or customer service gone wrong. While this may sound a little daunting at first, handling it the right way may lead to bigger opportunities to improve your business or even gain loyal customers.

Take the extra mile in understanding your customers and handle complaints the right way. Here are some reminders that can help you in dealing with shoe shoppers in a professional yet friendly way.

• Acknowledge their complaints

Fewer than half of unsatisfied customers will come up to you to voice their complaints. When someone takes their time to address the problem with you, be thankful instead of being complacent about it. When an unsatisfied customer walks out of your store, they are most likely to tell their networks about their experience in your store. But if you’re able to resolve it properly they will not hesitate to sing praises about your business.

• Act quickly

Time is of the essence when facing a complaining customer. Bear in mind that not all customers who come to your wholesale shoe store have the time or the patience to wait for you to act about their complaints. Make responding to your customers a priority to avoid escalating the issue and to save both of your time and energy. A smart move made in a timely manner is still better than a well thought action done a minute too late.

• Be mindful of what you say and How you say it

The words you say, whether you mean it or not, will have a great impact on how your customers perceive your business. This is especially true when other shoe shoppers are just within earshot. After hearing what your customer has to say, it is best practice to sincerely apologize for the incident and negotiate to resolve the issues. Don’t forget to ask if there’s anything else that you can help them with before they step outside of your door.