2. A Complaint is A GIFT…Really!! Renee Rouwhorst Ryke’s Bakery. Catering. Café 231-726-2253 www.rykes.com

3. A Complaint is a Gift…. REALLY!!  Understand why complaints are gifts  Understand the steps in handling complaints  Realize the importance of preventing complaints

4. Why talk about how to handle complaints? Attracting new customers will cost your company 5 times more than keeping an existing customer. Lee Resource Inc.

5. Customer Retention Stats A 5% increase in customer retention can increase a company’s profitability by 75%. Bain & Company www.Bain.com 80% of your company’s future revenue will come from just 20% of your existing customers. Gartner Group Statistics www.gartner.com

6. How does it feel to get a complaint?.

7. How does it feel to get a gift?.

8. Steps in Handling a Complaint SayThank you (Acknowledge the Complaint) AskFor information (open ended ???) AskWhat can I do…? TellWhat I will do for you is… (give options) *****DOCUMENT****** Fix the Person Solve the Problem

9. DOCUMENT Why Document???? 1.Problem Solve – get to the root to reduce the number of complaints – ID systemic issues 2.Teaching Tool – Empower your front line staff to effective handle complaints 3.Use the data in case you need to problem solve with a customer

10. Complaints come in different packages

11. On the Spot After the Fact On the Phone In Person On-Line

12. Package #1: On the spot! (Thank you) – Recognize – Acknowledge Ask for info Ask what can I do – Brainstorm Options Execute & Thank

13. Package #2: After the fact Phone. In Person. On Line

14. Internet… Set up alerts so you know when you are mentioned in cyberspace Respond!!! Educate future customers Remove only if malicious

15. EXAMPLE: On Line Complaint At first I was upset with the lack of flexibility of the vendor, instead of trying to make my out of town delivery work, they told me to find another bakery or ask the wedding venue for advise. I knew I wanted rykes and was not completely thrilled with them telling me to look else where. After a few kinks were worked out, I was completely satisfied with my wedding cupcakes and small cutting cake.

16. My Response…. Thank you so much for your feedback. Our delivery radius is 60 miles North, East and South of Muskegon...we make decisions about how far we can deliver with our clients best interest at heart. If we spread ourselves too thin, we run the risk of not delivering what has been promised. Deliveries are impacted by the number of events already on the books and the availability of staff and our fleet. We were completely booked on the weekend of your wedding and sincerely apologize that we were unable to accommodate your 90 mile delivery.

17. Prevention Set clear expectations Describe the process Make a written contract, clarify & confirm Learn from past experiences to prevent future problems