Customer complaints are a fact of life in business, and dealing with them is an important part of maintaining customer satisfaction and corporate reputation.
In a paper published by the University of Florida, researchers Allen F. Wysocki, Karl W. Kepner, and Michelle W. Glasser identified five types of complaining customers and outlined what they consider the most effective ways of dealing with each. This article presents their typology and expands it based on the experience of various customer service representatives.
While some consumers may have concerns about customers being typified in this way, such classifications may aid in training service reps and help to improve customer relations in that way.
The Meek Customer
This type of customer prefers to avoid confrontation and may not complain directly. However, they will tell friends and relatives, may comment on a blog or web forum or may post the complaint on Facebook or other social networking site.
To deal with these quiet customers, a company must be proactive and positive. An internet presence may be required to catch these complaints; follow up must be delicate ("We noted your concern about our product on your blog. Is there any way we can help with this?").
The Aggressive Customer
"Opposite of the Meek Customer. Readily complains, often loudly and at length." These folks enjoy confrontation, and will often seek a large audience as a manipulative behavior. Many aggressive customers also engage in a sort of business blackmail (see The Rip-Off Customer, below)
The best response, suggests Wysocki et al., is to:
- Listen completely
- Repeatedly ask: "what else?"
- Agree that a problem exists (no excuses)
- Indicate what will be done to resolve the issue and when.
Avoid being aggressive in return. In other words, be calm, practical, and professional.
The High-Roller Customer
This customer "Expects the absolute best and is willing to pay for it." Complaints are likely to be offered in a reasonable,even logical manner.
The High Roller is not interested in excuses but only "in results and what you are going to do to recover from the customer service breakdown. Always listen respectfully and actively and question carefully to fully determine cause." Being given a run-around will upset any customer, but the High Roller especially.
The Rip-Off Customer
Some businesses call this type "The Extortionist." The goal of the Rip-Off, Wysocki points out, "is not to get the complaint satisfied but rather to win by getting something the customer is not entitled to receive." In other words, it's a form of blackmail or extortion. "A constant and repetitive "not good enough" response to efforts to satisfy this customer is a sure indicator of a rip-off artist." Many aggressive complainers are also accomplished at the rip-off.
Customer service reps often find aggressive and rip-off customers the most difficult to deal with (and those customers know that and use the fact). Wysocki, Kepner and Glasser advise CSRs to
- Remain unfailingly objective.
- Use accurate quantified data to backup your response.
- Be sure the adjustment is in keeping with what the organization would normally do under the circumstances.
- Consider asking "What can I do to make things right?" after the first "not good enough."
Documentation is important as the extortionist customer will often threaten legal action.
The Chronic Complainer Customer.
This type of customer "is never satisfied; there is always something wrong." No matter how often the service department fixes it, it's never done properly, or something else has gone wrong." This customer's mission is to whine. Yet, he is your customer, and as frustrating as this customer can be, he cannot be dismissed.
Dealing with a chronic complainer requires
- A sympathetic ear
- A sincere apology
- An honest effort to correct the situation
- Enormous patience is a big help.
"Most Chronic Complainer Customers will accept and appreciate your efforts to make things right. This customer wants an apology and appreciates it when you listen," because it is a way to get positive attention. "Tends to be a good customer (in spite of his constant complaining) and will tell others about your positive response to his complaints."
Obviously, there may be overlap between these classifications. Still the concepts may be useful in training customer service agents, where the various types can provide models for role-playing. The types can also serve as tests for a particular complaint-handling process ("How would it handle an Extortionist?").
Source: Wysocki, Allen F.; Karl W. Kepner, and Michelle W. Glasser, Customer Complaints and Types of Customers. EDIS document HR 005, a publication of the Department of Food and Resource Economics, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL. May 2001
Related Articles
Handling Customer Complaints – A set of specific steps that is part of an effective customer complaint process.
What is a Warranty? – CSRs need to understand product warranties in order to respond appropriately to customer complaints. Customers need to understand them to get appropriate service.
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