By Maureen Smith, ex-CACHE director and now a consultant
1. Customers are always right. Actually, customers are not always right, but staff must recognise that they are the ones who pay for or have a right to your service. If they are dissatisfied with the service for whatever reason, whether fair or unfair, their dissatisfaction must be recognised. Try to see the problem from the customer's point of view and gauge how serious it is for them. Don't simply blame others, and always try to find a solution to the problem. Ensure all staff know how to handle customer complaints and organise training to give frontline staff the skills to diffuse situations. Don't allow a culture of excuse and avoidance to develop. Remind staff that handling complaints successfully usually produces loyal customers.
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