5 Types of Complaining Customers And How to Handle Their Complaints (Infographic)

No matter how hard we try we simply cannot please 100% of the people 100% of the time, that’s why customer complaints are inevitable in customer service. Whatever the problem might be, the way you address unhappy customers and handle their complaints can have a major impact on your company’s reputation.

Obviously, ignoring complaints and failing to resolve them can make your customers leave and spread negative word of mouth. On the bright side, 56%-70% of the customers who complain to you will do business with you again if you resolve their problem. If they feel you acted quickly and to their satisfaction, up to 96% will do business with you again, and they will probably refer other people to you.

Whenever you come across complaining customers, understanding what type of customer you are dealing with and knowing the best way to respond can be very helpful. According to researchers Allen F. Wysocki, Karl W. Kepner, and Michelle W. Glasser, complaining customers can be divided into five categories. In their paper published by the University of Florida, they described these customer archetypes and provided suggestions on how to effectively handle their complaints.

Surely, not all complaining customers fit perfectly into these 5 categories. But once you learn to identify these complaint patterns and respond appropriately, you’ll definitely find it easier to deal with whatever complaints come your way. Check the infographic below for details and some helpful tips and make sure to share them with your customer service team.

5 Types of Complaining Customers And How to Handle Their Complaints
5 Types of Complaining Customers And How to Handle Their Complaints

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<img src="https://www.providesupport.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/5-Types-of-Complaining-Customers-and-How-to-Handle-Their-Complaints.jpg" 
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Enjoy!

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Provide Support is a leading customer service software provider, offering live chat and real-time visitor monitoring tool for businesses: www.ProvideSupport.com

Mary Shulzhenko
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24 comments

  1. Please correct my comment on your previous post, “10 Do’s and Don’ts of Excellent Customer Service” my comment was regarding having a computerize phone to dial or answer and direct people calling businesses. I made a spelling error at the end of my comment. I sure you will see it.
    Also, can you have someone contact me regarding your company and services?

    1. Leslie, thank you, we will correct the error, don’t worry about that. If you have any questions about our company and services, you can always get in touch with our customer support team whenever is the most convenient for you, our agents are available 24/7, just call our chat support.

  2. Great!
    I loved the 8 steps to resolve complaints. It seems that following them anything can be solved.
    Thank you very much, this is going to help me a lot at work, I needed this long time ago!

  3. Very good your article. I have a store and I know very well how difficult it is to understand each customer. This article has already given me a basis on how to do what the type of customer I am dealing with.

  4. I’ll be honest, I hate boring customer. Sometimes the day starts badly and there’s a grumpy person complaining. It is very difficult to deal with people, but I have read your text and it has already given me clarity. Thank you.

  5. I think the number 4 is a nightmare for everyone! I have, sometimes, to deal with this kind of customers and remaining calm is very hard. The infographic is very interesting, thanks for sharing it Mary!

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