According to HubSpot.com, the most common customer service complaints/problems are :

• Long wait times(when calling a call center), 

• Unavailable or out-of-stock- items

• Making customers repeat their  problem

•  Service reps that don't have a sense of urgency

• Poor Product or Service

• No First Call Resolution

• No Follow -Up

• Not Having a Way to Request a New Feature 

These common problems affect all kinds of businesses. It's imperative that every business takes customers' concerns seriously.  It's no way to avoid problems in business or in life. The key is knowing how to respond to problems when you come across them.  Often, CSRs are unsure of how to respond to customers when issues arise. Do you take a more direct approach or let the customer lead the way? Every situation will require a different approach when it comes to problem-solving. Every customer will need to be handled in a way that will best suit their needs.  Let's take a look at the action steps below, on how to best resolve customers' problems.

Step 1  Listen to Your Customer 

This first step is very crucial. Listen to all of your customer's pain points and disappointments. Ask questions for clarity and to show you understand the issue.  Let the customer finish speaking. Never interrupt the customer. 

Step 2 Acknowledge the Customer's Pain

This step involves responding to the customer's pain and not ignoring it. You can acknowledge their pain by saying statements such as, "I understand how frustrating that can be". This shows the client they are being heard and their issue is being validated. You also would want to repeat the problem to the customer, to demonstrate to them that you understand the issue.

Step 3 Identify Solutions

You want to ensure your solutions are practical and actually will resolve the problem.  Give the customer options to choose from. You may can offer a discount, a free trial for a product, a refund, etc. Make sure the solution fits the situation. The solution should be personalized for the customer.  

Step 4 Select the Best Solution  

The solution should be measured against any evaluation criteria.   The advantages and disadvantages of a solution should be weighed. 

Step 5 Implement the Solution 

Communicate clearly with the customer on how the solution will resolve the issue.

Step 6 Follow Up With the Customer 

Contact your customer to make sure the solution has truly resolved the issue. This additional step will make the customer fill valued and shows they you were truly concerned.  

Let's watch the below video, which provides an excellent portrayal of providing good customer service and problem-solving.

Conflict occurs between two or more parties.  A conflict happens when it is a serious disagreement or argument.  The people involved are not able to see eye to eye, and therefore, it's a divide between the parties.  In the customer service field,  you will experience conflict.   You may have a customer who will not allow you to get a word in, you may have a customer who is not happy with accepting your offer of help. Whatever the case, conflict resolution techniques will help to diffuse a situation and allow both parties to be heard. 

 You may also be wondering what is the difference between a conflict and a problem.  The key difference is that a conflict involves two or more individuals, whereas a problem doesn't involve any parties. Some key conflict resolution techniques are : 

1.  Don't focus on being right 

2. Don't focus on blaming a person; look for the underlying cause of the issue.

3. Keep the conversation goal-oriented 

The following video embodies the above steps on conflict resolution.    

As you can see, the customer service representative didn't worry about being right and shunning the customer. She didn't try to put the blame on the customer and kept the conversation goal oriented by contacting a more experienced customer service representative.  

Problem-solving and conflict resolution are two of the biggest skills to learn. Both of these items are very likely to arise in being a customer service representative. If you are able to master these skills, you will definitely be a stand-out CSR. 

References 

The Digital Project Manager, & Fey, J. (2022, October 12). 12 workplace conflict resolution techniques for PMS. The Digital Project Manager. Retrieved April 24, 2023, from https://thedigitalprojectmanager.com/projects/conflict-resolution/12-conflict-resolution-techniques-workplace/ 

Fontanella, C. (2022, October 10). Customer complaints: 8 common complaints & how to resolve them. HubSpot Blog. Retrieved April 24, 2023, from https://blog.hubspot.com/service/customer-complaints 

Hasa. (2018, February 27). Difference between conflict and problem: Definition, usage, examples, and differences. Pediaa.Com. Retrieved April 24, 2023, from https://pediaa.com/difference-between-conflict-and-problem/ 

Shataieva, T. (2023, March 6). Customer service problem-solving techniques with examples. The HelpCrunch blog. Retrieved April 24, 2023, from https://helpcrunch.com/blog/customer-service-problem-solving/ 

Bad vs great customer service: Scenarios with explanation. YouTube. (2022, May 31). Retrieved April 24, 2023, from https://youtu.be/bveFPRmF-xM 

Customer service: Conflict resolution skills - red eye, 2005. YouTube. (2020, June 19). Retrieved April 24, 2023, from https://youtu.be/rG3CMyVYDnU