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By Nick Koerbin
Have you had to deal with an angry member complaining about a service your association is providing?
Members are the lifeblood of associations, but when a member calls you to complain, how do you handle these incidents?
Most associations have processes to ensure these occurrences are handled graciously and carefully. How do you deal with a member or customer
complaint? Here are some points you may wish to consider
š Remain Calm, Collected and Kind
Perhaps you have a disgruntled member who would like nothing more than to bring you or your team down because you responded to an email
slower than expected. When conflict arises, leaving your emotions at the door and addressing the member in a calming tone is essential.
šAcknowledge Their Concern and Thank Them
āKill them with kindnessā is the mantraārepeat that to yourself. A member has decided they do not want to suffer in
silence anymore. When you have a member who comes to you with a complaint, you first must thank them for their feedback. The
complaining member has taken time to inform you of how they feel when they could have quickly cancelled their membership and gone elsewhere.
šReiterate Their Concern Back to Them
After you have thanked them for their complaint, they might still be disgruntled because the situation is yet to be resolved. It is best
practice to reiterate what they have said back to them. A reiteration might sound like this, āWe want to ensure all our members are
delighted with our services. So that I can best help you, can I please clarify that you are feeling dissatisfied becauseā¦ā
šOffer Care, Support and Guidance
A complaint means that a personās trust in youāthe associationāhas been fractured. Regaining that sense of trust and loyalty means going the
extra mile by offering them personalised care and support. You can make it right no matter who is wrong by easing their dissatisfaction.
If they believe your membership rate is too expensive, it can be as simple as asking them what would make that investment worth their while.
Is it offering more innovative digital strategies such as webinars or networking events? It is then essential to take that
feedback onboard and see if there is anything the association can do to accommodate their request.
šIf In Doubt, Apologise
Sometimes, you need help to rectify the situation. If you reach that point in the conflict, just apologise for the inconvenience and assure
them it will not happen again.
šFollow Up
Once the complaint has been addressed and you have contained their aggression with an apology, support and guidance, it can all be packaged
in a neat follow-up call or email.
šDocument All Complaints
Every association should have a process in place to record any complaints and view these complaints as valuable information to assess if the
organisation is meeting the needs of their members.
Business events in Australia contribute over $36B annually and are growing fast!
Check out our latest article for essential tips on venue selection, security, insurance, and moreāplus key stats like $21.4B in traveller
spend and 11% projected growth.
Itās the Gala Awards night ā but are your awards truly valued by most of your members?
Most association leaders face a persistent challenge: growing and retaining members. Itās not uncommon to hear stories of
members who join for a year, drop off, and then rejoin two years later. While this cycle may seem harmless, it carries hidden costsāsuch
as staff time, marketing expenses, onboarding resources, and software overheadāthat
can quietly drain your associationās budget.
How we help membership based, not-for-profit associations now and into the future.
