Table of contents
- Types of customer’s false claims
- Reasons behind customer’s false complaints
- Company’s responding strategy against false claims of stakeholders
- Effects of each responsive strategy on both customer and the company
Types of customer’s false claims
- Price based claims
- Claims regarding product packaging (most customers return the products by excusing that an unpacked or previously used product was delivered)
- Claims based on compromised product/service quality
- Product features/specifications-based claims (e.g. product size, color, usage value wasn’t that good as described)
- Some claims by saying that they were not properly guided or informed about refund policies.
- A lot of dishonest customers refuse to accept the delivery of product or service by claiming that they didn’t get exactly what they ordered. (e.g. A customer ordered an iPhone X via Amazon, but he just received an empty iPhone box in return so, he claimed for full cash refund)
- Claim of incomplete accessories or services delivered.
- Some customers also claim by excusing that we were promised for free repairing services by salesman.
- Another good excuse is claims made based on place of manufacturing or origin. (e.g. they may say that we were promised to get this product made by Japan, but it was assembled in china, so we do not accept this product).
Claiming in usage difficulty due to complex product features and delivered without providing any guidance or instructions book regarding product usage and specifications.
Customer motives behind false complaints
- Money refunds
- Greedy nature
- Just for fun
- Change of mind
- Eye-blinded
- Some may want to damage brand’s reputation
- Sociocultural influence
- Bad word-of-mouth also play a vital role in consumers’ perception about a brand, even can motivate them to make false claims.
- Later, felt unpleasant with the purchase
- Few days late, customer found better product alternative now he’s intended to return it in any way.
- When reached home after the purchase, most customers realize that they purchased something they don’t really need, it was just window shopped or store’s environmental effect.
- False claims may be made due to no longer need of that product or service. They just wanted to avail the product/service benefits just for a short time spam. (e.g. a lady just purchased a Lehenga for a day or two-day event like her marriage, now after the event she no longer needs it. So, she returned it because she is aware of company’s fifteen-day return policy).
Possible ways to face customer false claims
First of all make sure that you did not mislead the customer in any way if you are confident that nothing wrong happened by you side then you can proper deal with customer by developing targeted responsive strategy against customer false complaints claims.
Following ways, you can deal with unethical customer;
- Be honest about endorsements and products testimonials
- Keep a complete record transaction with legal proofs. (mages, CCTV footage, voice records)
- Communicate professionally even with unlawful and unethical customers. Ask complete details of their claims/complaints. Then request for a reasonable time to review their claims. Collect transactional data you had recorded previously for that day purchases. Gather proofs and show them to clear the case.
- Wait a minute, now as you know and have proofs that this customer has made false claims. So, do not rush into things just show them their true faces. Remember you’re a company you can’t misbehave even with fraudulent customers. Do think of Alternate options to act against their false claims. Like;
- You can turn this incident into an opportunity and beneficial for the company
- Think of the impacts of every reaction you will make on the customer’s perception as well as on your brand’s reputation.
- You got the good opportunity to make loyal customers just by supporting that customer.
- Or you can make them feel ashamed but there is no benefit of that action for your business.
- Treat them in a well manned way, so later they don’t react wrongfully which might harm the company in any way, and they do not want to damage your brand’s reputation anymore.
- If you now treat them the right way, they will spread positive word-of-mouth in return will directly strengthen reputation of your business. And leads to generate more revenue.
- Refund them even by knowing they are making false claims. Later show them proofs of their false claims. Tell them they can keep the product as well as refunds as a gift. This response may or may not make them loyal to you. But by properly endorsing their incidents anonymously will definitely generate more leads for your business and help spread brand awareness.
- Another good benefit of taking lawful actions against such deceitful customer is it will reduce the rate of false claims on your company.
- As we are known that companies and individual sellers must pay penalties in case of misleading customers in any form. Such as misguided endorsements, hidden prices, unclear or incomplete refund policies.
So, the idea behind this scenario of penalties is that why not companies set penalties if claims proved to be false and set rules against fake complaints. This will work as a barrier against falsie claims and help filter useless customer’s impact on reputation of your brand.
Right now, that’s all I had in my mind. If you got any idea or suggestions to reduce false claims and better strategy to face these kinds of issues. Please share with us so everyone could get benefits from it.
Thank You