This week in the Every Tuesday Club, Steven discusses leading by example, something all of us would like to do and do well.  It’s easy to set a good example when things are going well and smoothly.  But when things are a bit rocky, it’s harder.

A good way of thinking about this is to look at how you handle complaints.  It sends a message to your team, about how you would like them to act when things are tough.

Let’s think about how a complaint comes in.  It could come from you boss, it could come from a client, or it could come from a co-worker.  In the end a lot of complaints can end up on your desk.  How are you going to manage them?  Think about it before you get there and it makes it a lot easier.

First thing though is to look at a complaint as an opportunity.  I know it’s been said before and it sounds a little bit ridiculous, but it really is a chance for you to demonstrate why you are good at what you do and why you are a good leader.

So follow these steps when you handle a complaint next time.

1.     First of all, let’s think about not taking it personally.  A complaint can sound personal, because often the complainant uses words like “you”, “you should have” “why didn’t you”.  But it’s not personal, it’s an observation about your business or your organisation that you need to manage, so let’s not take it personally.

2.     Secondly, listen and don’t interrupt.  You are the expert in your business and the person complaining is not.  That means it is easy for you to jump to conclusions and step into the conversation too early to try and resolve the issue.  Don’t.  Wait and listen and make lots of listening noises like “yes”, and “I understand”.

3.     Thirdly, you need to empathise.  Empathising is not sympathising.  It is not saying “I feel sorry for you”.  Empathising is demonstrating to the customer that you understand what they are saying.  You can empathise even if you disagree with them.  You can still say that “I understand that you are frustrated” or “I can see how that would be annoying”.  That’s empathising and it’s not admitting that you are wrong.

4.     Even though you don’t admit you are wrong, you need to apologise.  But again focus on apologising for how they feel, or why they are frustrated, not for the actual event.

5.     When the situation is settled and resolved, don’t forget to thank them.  Yes, thank them.  It sounds silly but you need to thank someone for a complaint, because it is feedback about how we can improve things for our organisation and our team going forward.

Try this when a complaint comes in next time and let me know how you get on.

If you haven’t taken the opportunity to sign up to the Every Tuesday Club with MBE (Management & Business Education), then do so today by going to www.buseducation.com.