Trout Emma Sample 1

MEMORANDUM TO: Customer Service Representatives FROM: Emma Trout, Customer Service Manager DATE: October 9, 2018 RE: Customer Service Complaint Tips

Purpose After a recent customer service complaint received by RadioShack, the purpose of this memorandum is to give tips to customer service representatives to use in future customer service complaints. Recent Customer Service Complaint On October 5, George Knightley walked into RadioShack to buy a Canon Powershot camera and left completely dissatisfied with the customer service he received here at our store. When Mr. Knightley came into RadioShack, a sales representative greeted him and understood what he was trying to buy. The employee also tried to sell Mr. Knightley a memory card, case and other accessories for the Canon Powershot. After the customer had repeatedly told this employee he only wanted the camera he came for, the employee responded inappropriately and left Mr. Knightley to tend to another customer. While selling accessories to customers is acceptable, it is not acceptable for sales representatives to complain when the customer declines the accessories. After the employee left to tend to another customer, Mr. Knightley stated he was leaving RadioShack to go to a local competitor to buy the camera he came for. The employee in this situation did not apologize to Mr. Knightley for his behavior, nor did he try to keep Mr. Knightley as a customer. Customer Expectations Mr. Knightley expressed his deep disappointment with the “unprofessional attitude” the employee in this situation exhibited in his letter. Since Mr. Knightley picked RadioShack he should have been treated with the utmost respect, like all of our customers. In Mr. Knightley’s case we failed to provide that respect.

Customer Service Complaint Tips

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October 7, 2018

Tips for Responding to Customer Service Complaints Responding to customer complaints, like those from Mr. Knightley, effectively and sympathetically can make or break a relationship with a consumer. Therefore, please remember these tips whenever you are dealing with a customer complaint. 1. Respond specifically to any issues brought up by the customer. Do not write a vague response that seems as though it is a template for all the customer service complaints RadioShack receives. Instead, be specific by discussing the issues the customer brings up, especially if they are about a specific employee. Make sure you also discuss the actions RadioShack will be taking to ensure a similar situation never occurs again. 2. Apologize. Apologizing is incredibly important in making sure customers come back to RadioShack. If you respond to a customer complaint, apologize before stating anything else. Make sure to be specific in your apology as well. Do not just say “We’re sorry for this service,” but instead apologize specifically for the actions the customer is complaining about. 3. Be sympathetic. Whether or not the customer is right, be sympathetic towards the issues he or she is bringing up in the complaint. If the customer is taking the time to write and send a complaint letter, or even to call to complain, he or she is clearly upset, frustrated, and/or angry about a situation that occurred at RadioShack. Therefore, it is important to be sympathetic to how the customer is feeling. 4. Focus on the solution. Again, whether or not the customer is right make sure you focus on the solution to the complaint. At RadioShack, this solution depends on what the customer is complaining about. Sometimes the solution is to give the customer credit to use at a physical RadioShack location or online. Sometimes all the customer is looking for is an apology and an understanding that something like this will never happen again. Either way, after apologizing for the situation that occurred, make sure to always give the customer a solution. Our customers are always our number one priority here at RadioShack—not just the ones that are satisfied with our service and products but also the ones that are dissatisfied. Customer complaints are important to RadioShack because they help us understand what we can improve upon. If you have any questions about responding to a customer complaint, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me.