No webshop escapes it: a parcel that does not arrive, a damaged product or the wrong size. A complaint feels unpleasant, but it is also an opportunity. A customer who notices their problem is taken seriously often stays loyal precisely because of it. So how you handle a complaint makes a big difference.

1. Respond quickly, even if you do not have a solution yet

A customer with a complaint mainly wants to know they have been heard. Confirm quickly that you have received the complaint and explain the next step, even if you first need to look into something. Silence makes a complaint bigger.

2. Listen and acknowledge

Let the customer tell their story and summarise what you have heard. Acknowledge their experience, even if you do not think the complaint is entirely justified. “I’m sorry your parcel hasn’t arrived yet” works better than immediately explaining that the carrier is to blame.

3. Offer a concrete solution

An apology is good, a solution is better. Think of a new shipment, a replacement product, a refund or another fitting gesture. Explain clearly what you are going to do and when the customer will hear back.

4. Keep it personal

A template feels especially cold in response to a complaint. Address what the customer wrote or said, use their name and keep a friendly, calm tone. With complaints in particular, a real person makes the difference.

5. Choose the right channel

Some complaints are easy to resolve by email, others call for a phone call. In an emotional or complicated situation, it often helps to give the customer a quick call. With a public review, offer to resolve it further in private.

6. Log it and learn from it

Record complaints with the cause and the solution. Do certain complaints keep coming back, for example about a product, a carrier or unclear information on your website? Then you know where you can improve structurally.

7. Agree on permissions

Complaints escalate when a customer keeps having to wait for someone else’s approval. Agree in advance what your team may resolve on its own and when a complaint goes to you or a manager.

Complaints in good hands

At Mijnsupportdesk we handle complaints carefully and in line with your policy, with permissions agreed in advance and a clear escalation route. We report recurring complaints so you can tackle the cause. Read more about customer service outsourcing or online review management.