The Psychology of Complaint Handling: How to Calm Upset Customers and Resolve Issues Quickly

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Customer complaints are an unavoidable aspect of doing business.

No matter how excellent your product or service is, or how much effort you put into delivering a seamless customer experience, there will be times when things go wrong or expectations aren’t met. So rather than trying to completely eliminate complaints against your business — an impossible feat — a more productive focus is optimising your complaint handling processes.

But how can you ensure that complaints are addressed effectively within your organisation?

It all starts with understanding the psychology behind customer complaints. What emotional triggers lead customers to voice their frustrations? What are they hoping to achieve by complaining? When you grasp these underlying motivations, you’ll be in a much better position to respond in a way that not only calms the customer but also addresses the core issue quickly and efficiently.

Below, we’ll explore the key psychological factors behind customer complaints and share some actionable strategies for managing complaints effectively.

The Psychological Drivers Behind Customer Complaints

Customers rarely complain solely because of a technical issue with a product or service. More often than not, the actual problem is only part of the reason behind the complaint. 

Typically, there’s a deeper psychological factor or emotional trigger at play. It could be disappointment (due to unmet expectations), frustration, a sense of being wronged, or just wanting to feel heard and understood. 

Let’s break down some of the main psychological drivers of customer complaints. 

Disappointment (Due to Unmet Expectations)

One of the most common drivers of customer complaints is a gap between what customers expect from a product or service, and what they experience when they’ve got it. 

Customers usually buy products or services with certain expectations — shaped by marketing messages, past experiences, or even descriptions from those who’ve used them.

When reality falls short of these expectations, dissatisfaction ensues, resulting in a complaint. 

Example: A customer books a luxury hotel expecting top-tier service based on glowing reviews. But upon arrival, they encounter slow check-in, a room with broken amenities, and inattentive staff. The customer is understandably disappointed and is likely to voice this emotion through a complaint. 

Frustration

Closely related to disappointment is frustration. This particular feeling arises when customers encounter obstacles, delays, or unresolved issues that prevent them from achieving their goals. It may be a technical glitch with a product, poor support, or inability to find clear information. The longer the frustration lingers, the more likely a customer is to complain as a form of emotional release. 

Example: A customer trying to contact support for days, only to be bounced between automated responses, feels increasingly frustrated. The longer their issue goes unresolved, the more likely they are to escalate the complaint.

Need for Control

Complaining can give customers a sense of control over a situation that feels negative or unfair. Voicing their concerns helps them reclaim some agency and influence at least some of the final outcome. This desire for control is especially strong when customers feel vulnerable or heavily dependent on the service being provided.

Sense of Injustice

Some customer complaints also arise from a perceived injustice or unfair treatment. A customer might think that they have been wronged by a business — whether through poor service or defective products — prompting them to seek redress via a complaint.

Desire for Change

Sometimes, customers might complain not just to express dissatisfaction with a product or service, but also to inspire change. They may believe that their feedback can lead to improvements in the product, service, or overall customer support experience. 

Need for Validation

Customers might also complain simply because they want to feel heard, understood or validated. They want confirmation that their concerns — whether it’s a product not meeting expectations or a service falling short — are legitimate. For these customers, a prompt and empathetic response might be enough even if the actual solution isn't perfect.

Besides the emotional drivers and triggers we’ve looked at, complaints can also emanate from the following psychological factors.

Personality Traits and Personal Factors

Individual personality traits can greatly influence the likelihood of a customer filing a complaint. For example, assertive individuals or those with lower levels of agreeableness are more likely to file complaints when they encounter issues. On the other hand, less assertive and more agreeable customers tend to avoid conflict and may choose to keep their dissatisfaction to themselves instead of reaching out to customer support.

Stressors outside of the purchase or transaction experience — such as personal, financial, or work-related pressures — can also amplify a customer’s reaction to support failures or disappointment. What might have been a minor inconvenience on a good day could feel like a tipping point under stressful circumstances, prompting an emotionally charged complaint.

Social Influences

Social influences can shape human behaviour. When customers see others publicly voicing their grievances — whether on social media, review platforms, or forums — they may feel encouraged to join the conversation, even if they hadn't initially planned to.

To summarise, numerous emotional and psychological factors contribute to customer complaints. Understanding these factors can help you handle complaint-related interactions with customers more effectively.

Top Strategies For Dealing With Customer Complains

How you handle complaints has a significant impact on customer satisfaction, loyalty, and a brand’s overall reputation. Poor complaint handling can drive customers away, while skillful resolution can transform upset customers into loyal brand advocates. 

Below are some top strategies for effectively handling complaints. These strategies address some of the psychological triggers and motivations we’ve looked at — such as feeling unheard, undervalued, or unfairly treated.

Remain Calm

When faced with an angry and upset customer over the phone, it’s easy to take their frustration personally and react defensively. If the exchange is extremely heated, you might not even want to help them at all. 

However, as a support agent, it's critical you stay calm and composed. The customer is never the enemy. And even though it might not feel like it, their anger is with the product or service, not you personally.

Reacting defensively or mirroring their frustration will only escalate things. But if you maintain a calm demeanor, you can diffuse tensions and foster a more productive conversation.

Practice Active Listening

Active listening means fully focusing on the customer’s words, reflecting on what they’re saying, and responding thoughtfully. Show you are genuinely engaged and interested in understanding their grievance, rather than just waiting for your turn to speak.

You can achieve this by paraphrasing or summarising their concerns to confirm your understanding. Use phrases like, “Let me make sure I understand your issue correctly…” or “I hear what you’re saying…” This approach builds rapport and trust, showing the customer that their concerns are being heard and understood.

Show Empathy

Empathy involves acknowledging the customer’s feelings and showing that you understand and care about their emotional experience. This could mean expressing regret that they are facing an issue and offering a sincere apology. 

Even if the company isn’t at fault, validating the customer’s feelings can help calm the situation. As we saw earlier, some customers are simply looking for acknowledgment of their feelings. 

Use empathetic phrases like, “I can see how that would be frustrating”. This can lower the emotional intensity of the interaction and help shift the conversation toward finding a solution together.

Act Swiftly and Decisively

Customers want and appreciate quick resolutions. Delay in addressing the complaint can exacerbate the customer’s frustration and erode trust. 

So, once you’ve actively listened to the customer and fully understood their issue, take immediate action to resolve it. If an immediate solution isn't possible, offer a clear timeline for resolution.

Swiftness shows you prioritise the customer’s concerns, helps build confidence in your brand, and fosters loyalty. One study by Harvard Business Review found that customers whose complaint is handled in 5 minutes or less are willing to spend more on future purchases with the business.¹ 

Inbound Call Centre Solutions like Aircall that integrate with other critical business systems — like customer relationship management (CRM) software — can help you resolve complaints faster and more efficiently. 

For example, when your phone system is linked with CRM software, your customer support representatives can pull up customer profiles instantly, view their previous interactions, or access any relevant documentation without having to toggle between different applications. That can lead to faster and more informed resolutions.

Another Aircall feature — Automated Call Routing — ensures that customer inquiries are automatically directed to the right team or person leading to faster resolution times.

Personalise the Interaction 

Customers don’t want to feel like just another number. Personalise interaction by addressing them by name, referencing specific details of their issue, referring to previous interactions, and tailoring the solution to meet their specific needs.

Personalisation makes customers feel special and more importantly, humanises the experience. It shows that they are dealing with real people who care about them, not faceless robots. 

Be Clear and Transparent

When offering a solution, clarity is key. Avoid vague promises like, "We’ll look into it," which can leave customers feeling uncertain or anxious. Instead, be specific about the actions or steps you plan to take. For instance, say, “We will issue a refund within 24 hours” or “Our special technician will contact you between 2pm-4pm”. Providing specific details reassures the customer that their complaint is being taken seriously.

It’s equally important to set realistic expectations about timelines and outcomes. Promising something and then not being able to deliver can lead to even greater disappointment and cause you to lose customers forever.

If it's clear that there's a mistake, take ownership rather than deflect blame. Customers appreciate honesty and are often more forgiving when businesses are upfront about their errors and limitations. In fact many will stick with a business and make a second purchase even after experiencing problems — but that’s only if it's resolved effectively.  

Use Positive Language

The language you use during a complaint interaction can have a big impact on the customer's perception and the ultimate outcome.

Using positive, solution-oriented language can shift the conversation from a negative focus to one that emphasises resolving the issue. Even when delivering less-than-ideal news (such as when something cannot be changed), frame it in a way that highlights what you can do for the customer. For instance, try saying “Here’s what I can do for you…” instead of “Sorry, I’m unable to do that”.

Follow-up After Resolution

A follow-up email or phone call allows you to confirm that the issue has been addressed and shows that you are committed to the customer's ongoing satisfaction. It demonstrates you care about their experience beyond just fixing the issue and can reinforce positive feelings toward your brand. 

What’s more, following up offers an opportunity to solicit feedback and potentially win back the customer’s trust, especially if they were initially upset.

Train Your Team

Effective complaint handling requires specific training, especially in emotional intelligence and communication skills. 

Ensure that your customer support staff are well-equipped with the tools and knowledge to manage complaints confidently. This can be achieved through various methods, such as workshops, personal coaching, real-time feedback, e-learning modules, and role-playing exercises.

Again solutions like Aircall can help with the training of your staff. For instance, Aircall’s Live Monitoring features allow managers to listen in on calls as they happen and provide immediate, on-the-job feedback or even coaching when necessary.

Turning Complaints into Growth and Improvement Opportunities

Customer complaints, while often seen as setbacks, can serve as invaluable opportunities for growth and improvement. They provide direct insights into the customer experience and can act as catalysts for positive change.

For example, repeated complaints about particular issues often point to a larger problem within your processes, products, or services. Resolving this issue proactively can help reduce the number of complaints and more importantly facilitate better customer experiences with your products or services. 

Furthermore, resolving a complaint effectively offers a chance to strengthen customer relationships.  When a customer's complaint is handled with empathy, care, and efficiency, they feel valued and are more likely to remain loyal. According to a Khoro study,  83% of customers feel more loyal to businesses that respond to and resolve their grievances.²

Transform Your Complaint Handling Processes With Aircall 

Customer complaints are typically driven by different emotional triggers, desires, or motivations — whether it's disappointment over unmet expectations, frustration, or feelings of being wronged or treated unfairly.

Understanding these drivers puts you in a great position to develop effective strategies — like those discussed here — to manage customers’ grievances and ensure positive outcomes for all parties involved.

Aircall’s Call Centre Software enables your team to resolve complaints swiftly and efficiently, thanks to features like live call monitoring, automatic call routing, and seamless integration with other essential business tools like CRM.

Schedule a free demo today and discover firsthand how Aircall can transform your complaint-handling process.

Sources

Khoros. Must-know customer service statistics of 2024. https://khoros.com/blog/must-know-customer-service-statistics

Harvard Business Review. How Customer Service Can Turn Angry Customers into Loyal Ones. https://hbr.org/2018/01/how-customer-service-can-turn-angry-customers-into-loyal-ones

Published on November 18, 2024.