Customer Service Skills Test Question 30 – Responding when a customer rejects the available remedy
Read the background and customer communication, then choose the response you would be most likely to give. Repeat the task after the customer follow-up.
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Background
A customer experienced three service failures: a missed callback, an incorrect letter and a delayed correction. You can apologise, explain the failures and offer a remedy within a published limit. Larger financial remedies require independent review.
Customer communication
Customer: I have wasted hours fixing your mistakes. I want an apology, an explanation and compensation.
Which response would you be most likely to give?
Response A
I can offer the standard payment now if you agree that the complaint is closed.
Response B
Compensation decisions are made elsewhere, so I will send the complaint on without discussing the service failures.
Response C
I will summarise the failures, apologise for the impact, explain what has been corrected and set out the remedy I can authorise and the review route for anything beyond it.
Customer follow-up
The customer rejects the available remedy and demands four times the adviser’s authority limit. They say they will contact the press unless it is paid today.
Which response would you be most likely to give next?
Response A
I cannot authorise that amount, but I will refer the remedy request for independent review, keep ownership of the service corrections and give you the review timescale and reference.
Response B
I will increase the payment beyond my limit because the customer has a strong complaint and may contact the press.
Response C
If you contact the press, the service will withdraw the remedy offer and communicate only through its legal team.
Click to reveal the answers
- Initial customer communication: Response C
- Customer follow-up: Response A
Members can unlock the full explanation for all six responses, including why the recommended replies are strongest and what makes the other choices weaker or unsafe.
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