Responding to Customer Complaints

Recently I logged on to Office Depot to order some items that I needed for my home office. I like ordering routine items for several reasons. First, if I order over 25 bucks the shipping is free. There's also next day delivery. But most of all I don't like to drive more than a couple of miles and the nearest Office Depot is about 25 miles away. Before Katrina blew into town I could walk to the nearest Home Depot but alas, the company has decided not to rebuild (at least for now) in my area. But I digress.

I placed my order after having some problems- the system was extremely slow. Initially, I thought it was my connection but after checking other sites I determined it was OD's server. As I was checking out a pop-up window asked if I would mind taking a quick survey about my experience. Bizrate was actually doing the survey, which they then send along to the clients. I gave OD a good rating but I also added a comment about my frustration getting my order placed. I added that I had been a customer for years and planned to continue ordering online even with the little glitch.


Later that day I received a really nice email from a fellow at Office Depot who apologized for the delay in placing my order. He said no one else had complained so he didn't think it was a problem on their end. As a token of gratitude he knocked 10%off my order.

I was impressed first by how quickly OD responded to my comments. I say comments and not complaint because I really didn't think I was complaining. I made sure I added that I was overall satisfied with my previous experience and even with the hold up I would return again. Still I was glad to know that the company had someone actually reading these surveys and responding in a timely manner.

How well do you respond to customer complaints? If you want to assure that your customers don't jump ship, you need to respond ASAP, the same day if possible, but definitely within 24 hours of their complaint. We know that a dissatisfied customer will tell others about a bad experience. We also know that a satisfied customer will also talk about it. I'm spreading the word through this blog and I've also told a few other people about it. I know that I can shop with ease because if I have a compliant it won't fall on deaf ears. That makes me want to buy from Office Depot, whether I need the items or not! So I ask you again, how well do you respond to customer complaints?