Efficient processing of complaints is important for optimally aligning a service department and being able to respond quickly to customer inquiries. Not all complaints need to reach the management. Nevertheless, management must also be informed about customer concerns and problems in order to be able to develop the company further.
A bad Complaints management leads to dissatisfaction and thoughts of switching on the part of customers. On the other hand, a good organization with fast and targeted complaint processing can even strengthen customer loyalty.
Not all feedback automatically ends up on the service manager's desk. Normally, around 80% of complaints are handled by the employees themselves and without the involvement of their direct superiors. Independent processing must also be a declared goal in order to work efficiently in the After-Sales to be able to work. However, the reasons for complaints should be passed on to management in order to achieve targeted control and further development.
So what factors influence the effective transfer of customer feedback from employees to management? A study from 2015 examined precisely this issue and came to the following conclusion:
Management support
The support of direct superiors has a moderately positive influence on the willingness to pass on complaints. The reason for this is obvious. Employees must have the feeling that it is appreciated when they openly communicate important customer concerns to superiors.
Furthermore, the impression should not be created that customer feedback is lost at a higher level. It must be clear that the information passed on is also used to better align the service structures.
-> Influence: moderately positive
Empowerment
Empowerment is a double-edged sword. The number of escalations to management decreases the more you empower your employees to solve problems themselves. This is basically a good thing. However, care must be taken to ensure that the flow of customer feedback to management does not dry up.
Empowerment has a negative impact on the willingness to pass on complaint information to management. The more independent your employees on the hotline are, the more thought you need to give to the process of channeling customer feedback to management. This is the only way to further develop the organization on the basis of the information provided.
-> Influence: moderately negative
Unfriendliness of customers
One interesting finding is that the unfriendliness of customers has a negative effect on the willingness of employees to pass on feedback. Initially, one would assume that an angry complaint would be more likely to escalate. However, the opposite is actually the case.
Employees fear that customers will complain about them to their superiors. In such cases, they often only escalate if the customer explicitly requests it. Unfortunately, particularly important feedback is lost in this way. Because if the customer is on 180, a lot of things have actually gone wrong.
Provided we're not dealing with a classic angry customer who can't be pleased one way or another. In this case, it is important that you develop a strategy for dealing with such problem customers. This topic has already been discussed in another Article dealt with in detail.
-> Influence: negative
Organizational Commitment
If your technicians feel a strong connection to your company, they are more willing to pass on the content of complaints to higher authorities. Employees then try to actively support management in improving processes and perceive customer feedback as an important lever.
However, organizational commitment is a very comprehensive factor. A lack of commitment can have a variety of reasons. A large number of them are not within your direct sphere of influence as a service manager. This point should therefore not be given the highest priority. This is also because the positive influence is only moderate.
-> Influence: moderately positive
Customer orientation
The customer orientation of your company and especially your after-sales organization is the most important influencing factor. This is where you can actually start with yourself. After all, sales and service have the strongest contact with the customer and shape the image of the company. It is therefore essential to be customer-oriented in after-sales.
This starts with the processes that ensure the fastest possible resolution of problems and ends with the attitude towards customers. Does your organization talk about customers or rather about problems/problems? Do you focus on providing the customer with exactly the service they need?
-> Influence: strongly positive
Make sure that customer feedback reaches you! This is the only way to ensure that your after-sales organization is well positioned in the long term. Make sure that your organization is highly customer-oriented and consider how you manage your problem customers in order to achieve this goal. These two factors are very easy for you to influence and have a positive effect. If you have low escalation rates, you should also consider having customer feedback prepared for you in a process-controlled manner in order to keep up with the times and not lose contact with the installed base. - Dr. Simon Tonat
Sources: Walsh, Yang, Dose & Hille (2015): The Effect of Job-Related Demands and Resources on Service Employees' Willingness to Report Complaints ; Journal of Service Research, 18(2), pp. 193-209
