It’s easy to brush off someone voicing a complaint when you operate a busy repair shop. Mistakes and misunderstandings happen every day, even when a shop is led by capable, hard-working people. While many of us would prefer to minimize our mistakes, handling these difficulties the right way matters more than you think.
A complaint represents a risk to your business, since it’s hard to know when a small misunderstanding is going to grow into a major issue. Complaints that are brushed off or handled poorly can result in an unnecessary claim being made, which can cause stress, endanger business finances and lead to negative publicity.
It’s helpful to be aware of the kinds of complaints you’re likely to hear and understand the best practices for managing them. Here’s what to know, plus five tips for how to handle repair shop complaints at your business.
Repair Shop Complaint Scenarios
Your business is likely to face a wide variety of complaints. You may hear complaints from your own employees, as well as customers, vendors and other third parties.
Here are a few examples of complaint scenarios you may face at the shop:
- A recent customer arrives with a comeback complaining a problem wasn’t fixed by the shop’s repair.
- A vendor complains of being hurt tripping and falling in a waiting area during a visit.
- A customer complains about the cost of a repair’s labor or parts.
- A neighboring businessowner complains to you about a negative interaction with one of your technicians.
- A customer who purchased a fleet vehicle from your shop complains that they are experiencing a title issue.
- A technician complains that several of their own personal tools stored at the shop have gone missing.
- A customer service employee complains about inappropriate workplace behavior by several of the technicians.
- A customer complains about additional repair costs after a technician damages an engine component.
- A customer with a disabled vehicle claims it was damaged when you towed it back to the shop.
- A former technician lodges a complaint over the amount of their final check, claiming it is short hundreds of dollars.
5 Tips to Handle Repair Shop Complaints
When a complaint has been raised at the shop, it’s important to act, even if the matter seems trivial or you disagree with the opinion of the person making the complaint.
Take all complaints seriously and focus on understanding what is wrong so that a resolution can be found. Here are 5 tips:
1. Take Time Out to Listen
Problems are most likely to occur when the shop is at its busiest. When you are approached with a complaint, stop and take time to listen.
It can go a long way if you are able to demonstrate to a technician, customer or other person voicing a complaint that you care and are motivated to find a resolution. Stay calm, listen carefully and ask questions so you can figure out what happened.
2. Acknowledge the Situation
Acknowledge any disappointment, frustration or anger the person making the complaint may be feeling. Take time to fully understand the problem from their perspective. Do your best to avoid getting into an argument about the facts, and focus on what can or cannot be done.
An apology for a misunderstanding or mistake often goes a long way diffusing a tense situation. Address the complaint as soon as possible, since ignoring the problem won’t make it go away and may make the situation worse. Fast action is particularly important when there is an accident, injury or safety issue.
3. Answer Their Questions
A good conversation involves answering questions as well as asking them. This give and take approach can help you get a complete picture of what’s wrong so that you can provide the information needed to clear up misunderstandings and set expectations.
When answering questions, think about the language you use. It’s important to be truthful in situations like a repair diagnosis, while also making sure to explain what’s happening in words a customer or other third party will be able to understand.
4. Seek to Remedy the Situation
Some complaints can be resolved quickly, while others may take more time to address. It is also important to realize technicians, customers, vendors and other third parties may not always address their complaint to the person who can solve it.
Make sure your team knows what to do and who to contact if approached with a complaint. Aim to offer a solution that addresses the needs expressed by the person making the complaint. Arriving at a resolution together can have a positive impact. When agreement is reached on a resolution, act quickly.
5. Follow Up
Follow up on any complaints that have been made to ensure that your shop has followed through on the resolution.
Thank the parties who point out problems to you for giving you a chance to address them. In cases where you are not able to fully resolve a complaint, document the incident and report it to your insurance carrier, if needed.
More Ways to Protect Your Repair Shop
Handling complaints is a normal part of the day at many repair shops. Make sure you’re prepared for all the different types of complaints you may face and remember what steps to take to resolve them.
While most complaints can be resolved fairly easily, not all will be. In fact, you may one day face a complaint from an employee, customer, vendor or other third party that turns into a lawsuit.
The right insurance can help protect you if you do face a complaint that can’t be easily resolved. Coverage from the Lockton Affinity Aftermarket Insurance Program is specifically designed to protect repair shops, parts retailers and other aftermarket businesses from the cost of claims that result from common complaints.
The program offers coverage for technician errors, employee tools, customer complaints, employee claims and more. Learn more at LocktonAffinityAftermarket.com.
