Types of customer complaints

1. Long Wait on Hold

Average Time on Hold (ATH), a key call centre indicator, is a must-have for your team. Customers expect fast answers and don't want to waste their time with their phones constantly ringing. However, according to Answerlane, customers will hang up after two minutes, and 34% won't return calls. This means you could lose up to a third of your customer base simply because you don't answer the phone quickly enough.

2. Unavailable or Out of Stock Product

If a product is out of stock, it's usually a positive sign. However, customers who are not satisfied with the product may become impatient to have it back. Customers may request a special order or keep asking for updates. These are usually signed that your product has a critical need and must be delivered immediately.

3. Repeating the Customer's Problem

Customers don't like repeating their problems to your reps. Customers hate repeating their problems to your reps. It can be frustrating and time-consuming for customers to explain their problems multiple times.

4. Uninterested Service Rep

Some customers won't get along well with customer service representatives, regardless of their personality or tone. Some customers believe that a rep is not interested in their case because they cannot satisfy their needs. This can sometimes be true. Other times, customers have higher expectations than your team can meet. No matter who the fault is, when reps fail to show interest in their customers, it can cause damage to your company's reputation.

5. Poor Product or Service

You can expect customers to complain if your product fails. Sometimes the product isn’t broken, but the customer doesn’t know how to use it. Sometimes customers don't like your product or service and blame you for not meeting their needs. Your team must know how to stop customers from switching to competitors, regardless of how they arrive at that conclusion.

6. No First Call Resolution

Customers expect to resolve their problems quickly when they call your customer service department. Research shows that 67% of customer turnover can be avoided if the service request gets resolved within the first contact. This doesn't necessarily mean customers should stay on the phone with you, but it does mean they should pursue first call resolutions.

7. Lack of Follow Up

Customers will have different expectations of follow-up communications when you have to follow up on a case. Customers will have different expectations. Some will want an ongoing series of updates, while others may be more patient. Customers may feel forgotten if your representatives aren't clear on response times.