There are 2 types of complaints:

• product complaints (those related to a product or products)

• service complaints (those related to customer service)

Common causes of/reasons for customer dissatisfaction, problems and complaints in the entertainment industry include:

• poor customer service

• inadequate or incorrect information or advice provided

• cultural misunderstanding

• poor communication

• barriers to communication

• aggressive behaviour

• unsafe work practices

In your book, write down some examples of how customers may dissatisfied in the entertaiment industry.

Some common examples of complaints and conflict in the entertainment industry include:

• conflict among work colleagues

• conflict between the hirer and the venue

• patrons refused entry

• drug or alcohol affected persons

• ejection from premises

• late customers who have to wait for the lock out to finish

• denied requests for refunds or exchanges

• dissatisfaction with seats allocated

• delayed/cancelled performance

• noise complaints from surrounding residents. 

Complaints are never easy to hear, however, when we learn to deal with them in a productive way we can begin to see them as a way to provide advance warning about problems and to better our customer service in the future. To be good at dealing with complaints we must be skilled in the following four areas:

• problem-solving

• decision-making

• negotiating

• conflict-resolution

Watch the video (right) to learn a bit more about dealing with difficult customers.

The initial response to a complaint is very important. It is essential that you demonstrate to the customer that you are willing and ready to address their complaint immediately, and that you desire their satisfaction.

Common customer complaints can usually be traced back to one of 3 areas:

• individual employees

• the company

• the customer.

If you really listen to a complaint, acknowledgge what they are say and make an effort to resolve the problem then generally a customer will feel valued and the whole experience can be more positive.

When you are dealing with conflit, the following steps will help to resolve the situation.

1. Don't ignore conflict

2. Clarify what the issue is

3. Bring involved parties together to talk

4. Identify a solution

5. Continue to monitor and follow up on the conflict

Watch the two videos (left) to learn more about conlict resolution.

Using the website below for support, fill out the table (right) to indicate ways to manage complaints. Remember to save a copy to your Google Drive first.

https://www.business.qld.gov.au/running-business/marketing-sales/customer-service/complaints

Keeping accurate records and reports of instances of customer complaints and feedback will ensure your organisation continues to enhance customer service delivery.

Workplace practices for recording and reporting can be:

• formal and informal

• verbal and written

Common documents forms of recording complaints in the entertainment industry include:

• customer service log

• complaints register

• incident reports

• memoranda to staff

Although it is important that your are provided with training in customer service and complaint handling so that you feel equipped to handle yourself well in these situations, there will be times when a complaint may need to be passed on to a higher-level staff member. 

Two reasons that you might pass a complaint on are:

• the complaint is outside your level of authority

• you have been unable to resolve the issue effectively

If the complaint is outside your level of authority, your manner with the customer is still just as important as you navigate passing the customer over to a higher level staff member for actioning. It is important not to try and resolve a problem that is outside your level of authority. You may in fact escalate the dissatisfaction of the customer, resulting in further complaints and issues.

If you have tried to resolve a complaint but have been unable to find an effective resolution and the customer is still unhappy then you are able to ask for assistance from a supervisor in dealing with it or pass the complaint over completely.

Although it never feels good to get a complaint it really is just a form of feedback. If we think of it that way we can start to take the emotion out of it and begin to use it as valuable information to help us imporve the service we are providing. 

We can also be proactive and seek customer feedback as a way to enhance service delivery. There are various methos of collecting gustomer feedback including formal methods such as surveys, interviews and structured questions, or less formal ways such as observing customer reactions and having casual discussions with them. 

Whatever method of collecting feedback, all feedback is important and a valuable resource to further enhance your service and increase customer satisfaction in the future.

Handling compaints is not something that an employee should be expected to do well at without some sort of training. An employer should provide staff with the opportunity to train in many areas of customer service including complaint handling. This could be in various forms including, online training and live simulations to help staff respond to complaints in an appropriate manner. 

Work through pages 85-103 of your workbook.