The art of managing customer complaints: Lessons from retailers

Handling customer complaints, dealing with irate, and sometimes, unreasonable patrons, is an important part of the jewellery retail business. Suneeta Kaul endeavours to find out how jewellers go about dealing with such difficult situations

- Suneeta Kaul

No matter how much retailers pursue perfection, look into every detail, conduct quality checks, hire the best of people, there can still be customer complaints. It could be no fault of the jeweller, and yet s/he could end up facing complaints. It is part of the game, and jewellery retailers are used to the drill.

DEALING WITH CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS

Complaints can be of various kinds, depending on the kind of jewellery a retailer specialises in. Explains Abhishek Zaveri of the eponymously named company, Abhishek Zaveri, Ahmedabad, "The kind of complaints we get depends on the category of the jewellery. There will be a different set of issues, depending on whether it is kundan, gold, antique, jadau, or polki jewellery. But most of the times, issues arise because customers mishandle jewellery."

Zaveri goes on to explain that at the time of buying jewellery, and trying it on in the showroom, customers are in a different mindset. They are relaxed, in no hurry, and they take their time and handle everything carefully.

"But when they are at home, getting ready for an occasion, they are often in a hurry, sometimes they are stressed, and they do not handle the jewellery carefully. So, some damages do occur, or some parts fall off. When they bring it to us, we calm them down and do the necessary repairs.

"When it comes to kundan and jadau, particularly, there are complaints of the colour of stones changing. This happens mostly because of the chemicals in cosmetics and perfumes coming in contact with the jewellery. But it is no big deal - we just polish the stones, and they are as good as new," Zaveri adds.