Focusing on customer dissatisfaction issues is one of the most important things businesses can do if they are to resolve customer complaints. A customer complaints program allows for the tracking, organizing, and eventual resolution of service or company issues. Monitoring a customer complaints program on a regular basis is crucial to developing successful long-term customer relationships.

Create an electronic spreadsheet or other document where data from customer complaints programs can be recorded. Name this computer file "Customer Complaints" or a similar title and save it to a safe place on your computer. An example of spreadsheet software that can be used is Microsoft Excel, which allows for filtering and sorting of entered data.

Keep track of important issues that relate to your customer complaints program by gathering the data from the program and entering it in your spreadsheet. Examples of issues that need to be updated and monitored on a regular basis include the causes of customer complaints, which customers file the most complaints, how often they're filed as well as how quickly and if issues are resolved.

Sort the customer complaints program data in your spreadsheet so that it can be seen in a clear and organized manner. Categorize the different complaint types to see what issues need to be addressed the most. Sort the dollar value of any monetary transactions that resulted in a customer complaint.

Develop policies that address unresolved customer complaints and decide what customer retention techniques you'll use. Offering special customer discounts, free items, or other one-time-offers to save a customer relationship are all examples of ways unresolved complaints can be handled.

Seek customer feedback from customer complaints programs from both satisfied and unsatisfied customers. This should be done by a member of management since unresolved issues will often be involved. Getting customer feedback on your program, however, is a good step to take to improve your customer complaints program.

Integrate a customer complaints software program that will allow you to track and organize as well as resolve complaints. These tools allow give company representatives the tools they need to handle complaint issues. Examples include Everest Customer Complaints Management by Lynk Software and Master Control's Customer Complaints Software.