Organize complaint handling so customers receive a clear response, an explanation of what happens next, and a follow-up check. Listen to the complaint, clarify the circumstances, acknowledge any confirmed mistake, and state the expected time to correct it.
To create the conditions for a repeat purchase, focus on fulfilling a specific commitment. After responding to a negative review, contact the customer again and check whether the problem has been resolved. Do not promise a repeat purchase as the result of these actions.
Listen to the customer and clarify the circumstances
Let the customer explain what happened. Ask questions about the specific problem: what information was unclear, at what stage the mistake occurred, and what remains unresolved. Do not replace clarification with assumptions about the reason for the complaint.
At the end, briefly restate the complaint and ask the customer to confirm that you understood it correctly. For example: “You were told that your order was ready for pickup, but when you came in, it was not handed over. Is that right?” This is an illustrative phrasing for clarifying the circumstances.
If a sales assistant received the complaint but the owner will respond, pass along the substance of the conversation together with the complaint. Read the previous correspondence before the next contact. Ask only for information needed to reach a solution.
Acknowledge the mistake after checking
If the store or an employee made a mistake, apologize and take responsibility. State the confirmed mistake specifically. Instead of a general “We’re sorry for the inconvenience,” explain exactly what the store did wrong.
Until the check is complete, distinguish between what the customer reported and the circumstances that have been established. As a suggested workflow, clarify the facts first, then prepare the response. If some circumstances are still unknown, say clearly what you are checking.
Explain the actions and expected timeframe
Tell the customer what steps the store plans to take and when a resolution is expected. Phrase the response so it is clear what will happen next.
- State the next action: exactly what you will check or correct.
- Give the expected timeframe for completing it.
- Explain which circumstances still need clarification.
- Say when you will share the result of the check.
If the final timeframe is not yet known, offer a time for your next update. For example: “By tomorrow, we’ll check why you received a ready-for-pickup notification and let you know what we find.” Promise only an action you can carry out. Do not present the time for a response as the time for full resolution if that has not yet been established.
Hand off a complaint between channels without making the customer explain it again
Customers should not have to retell the whole story when moving from written correspondence to a phone call. Pass the information already received and the previous commitments to the employee handling the next contact.
Give employees a simple process: first review the previous discussion, then contact the customer. If new circumstances come to light, clarify them and take them into account in the next response. Keep a record of the messages so the next employee can continue handling the complaint.
Check the outcome for the specific complaint
After responding to a negative review, contact the customer again. Ask whether the specific problem they raised has been resolved. If something remains unresolved, clarify it and explain the next steps.
Hypothetical example. A customer left a negative review: they came to collect an order after receiving a ready notification, but the order was not handed over. In the correspondence, an employee clarified the circumstances. The store checked the situation and confirmed that the notification had been sent by mistake.
The employee apologized for the premature notification and explained the next action: check whether the order was ready and report the result by the agreed time. Before calling, they read the correspondence so the customer would not have to repeat the explanation. After fulfilling the commitment, they contacted the customer again and checked whether the order had been received. All circumstances in this example are hypothetical; a repeat purchase is not presented as a guaranteed outcome.
How to save messages and mark a completed contact in Torgsoft
When handling a complaint, save the content of the customer’s message and your response. In Torgsoft, you can add a message from or to a customer in the “Контакт” tab (“Contact”). Use this record to review what was discussed before the next conversation.
When editing a record in Torgsoft, you can manually indicate that a contact took place and was completed by enabling the “Виконано” switch (“Completed”). As part of the store’s workflow, first check the commitment made to the customer, then add the corresponding mark.
The mark reflects an employee’s manual entry. Assess the outcome of the complaint based on the checked commitment and the customer’s response. The feature is described in the “Contacts and reminders” documentation.
Use recorded problems for training
Documenting problems makes it possible to learn from them. Ask employees to review a specific complaint: what questions they asked, what they confirmed, how they explained the next steps, and whether they checked the outcome.
Based on the review, choose a specific change to the workflow. For example, practise handing off correspondence before a call or phrasing a response with a clear expected timeframe. At the next review, check whether employees are following the agreed process.
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