Credit union complaints don’t have to rock the boat

Nothing gets your heart racing at work quite like seeing an angry member complain about the terrible service they received at your branch. Whether they’re complaining in person, online, or over the phone, chances are you wish that complaint would just go away. Why can’t your credit union just make everyone happy? You try so hard to give every member a good experience, but there always seems to be someone who complains and ruins your day.

But guess what? As frustrating as these complaints may be, receiving negative feedback can actually be a good thing.

Instead of seeing these complaints as a never-ending list of what your credit union is doing wrong, try viewing them as a chance to improve and turn those unhappy members into advocates for your institution. And the more advocates your institution has, the faster you’ll grow and the stronger your business will be.

Still don’t believe it? Here’s why those member complaints are a good thing.

Create member advocacy

It’s easy to feel defensive when someone criticizes your hard work. But even if this is your natural reaction, it shouldn’t be the reaction you present to members (even if their complaint is ridiculous).

You need to answer each complaint respectfully and considerately. Listen attentively, both to the words spoken and the underlying sentiments. Instead of simply waiting for your turn to respond, try to understand the member’s perspective. Perhaps they’ve encountered a genuine problem that needs fixing, or maybe they’re sharing insights you haven’t considered.

And once you’ve taken the time to listen, do what you can to fix the problem. No, not every complaint will have an easy solution. But even offering an apology and promising to look into the issue can go a long way if the member can tell you’re being sincere.

When you respond to complaints in this way, chances are that member is going to appreciate your time and have a better appreciation for your credit union. And then that member is likely to tell their friends all about how quickly, respectfully, and helpfully your institution responded to their complaint. What a cool way to spread the word about your credit union!

If you can get members to speak positively about your institution even after they’ve experienced a problem, you must be doing something right.

The way you respond to member complaints can lead to more advocates of your institution, which can then lead to more members.

(Check out this article to learn what may be stopping your institution from responding to member complaints.)

Stand out from your competition

How many credit unions do you think take the time to properly respond to every member complaint? Probably not many. While being good at responding to member complaints isn’t exactly something you should advertise, it’s something that may benefit your institution with no marketing or promotion. (Don’t you just love when that happens?)

When a member sees that you’ve responded to their complaint kindly, helpfully, and respectfully, they will likely be impressed. If that member has had poor experiences with other financial institutions or businesses in your community, then they will see that your credit union is different and truly wants to help them. This will help your institution stand out from the competition and, hopefully, lead to longtime members telling their friends and family about you.

Remember, even the most successful businesses receive complaints; it’s how they respond that sets them apart.

Learn where your institution can improve

Complaints aren’t exactly something you should be looking forward to. They’re still complaints, after all. But by viewing them as a way to improve your credit union and learn from the past, you can turn these complaints into something positive.

No, not every complaint will be valid. Some people complain about everything, and there’s not much you can do about that. But most complaints are sincere, and this is your chance to fix that member’s experience and make it positive. Pay attention to the types of complaints you’re receiving. If you notice a trend, take action and fix whatever is bothering your members. Maybe a slight change in policy will resolve the issue and make all member experiences better. Preventing similar complaints from arising in the future shows that you’re taking member complaints seriously and are doing what you can to fix the issue. Remember, happy members are members that recommend your credit union to friends and family. That complaint doesn’t seem so bad, now, does it?

How to take your member complaint tracking to the next level

Now that you understand why complaints aren’t always a bad thing, it’s time to take your complaint tracking to the next level. Responding to complaints and turning angry members into happy ones is much harder when you’re juggling complaints between email, social media, online forms, and written comment cards.

That’s where a complaint management tool comes in. Complaint management tools help you respond to and track member complaints in one central location, making it much easier to organize everything.

Whichever tool you use, it should be easy to track complaint data, route complaints to the proper reviewer, find trends, build reports, and reduce risk. This ensures complaints follow your internal controls, are reviewed by the proper people, contain the right documentation, and don’t get lost.

Kadince is one such complaint management software. Schedule a demo to learn more about managing your credit union’s complaints with Kadince.