Mazda Training manual - part 151

The Importance of Complaints 

Curriculum Training 

11 

2.4 Aggressive 

Customers 

In the next session we shall examine the best ways to deal with complaints, and agree the 
practical steps you can take to calm down difficult situations. These include dealing with 
customers whose complaints turn to aggression. 

To be able to deal with them you must first understand WHY customers are likely to 
become aggressive. 

Your Notes 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When customers react to poor service in extreme ways, by showing more than just simple 
dissatisfaction, do not think rationally. 

They tend to be emotional and see the problems they are having as personal to them. 

They may even think that they are being treated badly for personal reasons. 

What sort of effect do you think that a mishandled complaint can have on your customers? 

Your Notes 

 

 

The Importance of Complaints 

 

12 

Curriculum Training

 

2.5 

Review of the Session 

In this session we have examined the importance of complaints, why they happen and the 
effect they can have on your business. 

 

 

AC2 – SESSION REVIEW 

 

 

Your Notes 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dealing with Complaints 

Curriculum Training 

13 

3. Dealing 

with 

Complaints 

By the end of this session you will have: 
•  explored the Mazda method for dealing with complaints, and seen how customer 

expectations can be managed 

•  reviewed your duty of care to the customer and the results if complaints are dealt with 

incorrectly 

•  examined how complaints can be seen as opportunities to learn for the future 
•  reviewed the communications you have with customers, and how the right use of the 

voice and body can improve them 

•  seen how complaints can be turned into opportunities to make sales. 

3.1 Customer 

Expectations 

Customers want truth, good advice and good quality. 

Complaints therefore arise from: 
•  Lack of Truth – obtaining a service different from that expected 
•  Poor Advice – being given information that causes cost or damage 
•  Poor Quality – not doing the job to the expected standard – including general 

customer service. 

Whatever the reason, customers have every right to have their concerns dealt with 
promptly and professionally. 

Their expectations must be managed – we must make sure that customers know exactly 
what will be provided to them. 

Be honest about this – if we raise their expectations too high, it will end in complaints. 

The road to short-term and long-term growth depends on increasing customer loyalty 

▼ 

Increasing customer loyalty can only be reached by mastering customer-orientated processes 

 

Dealing with Complaints 

 

14 

Curriculum Training

 

3.2 

The Customer Process 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

11 Invoicing  

12. Customer  information 

& vehicle return 

10. Repair order  

processing and 

Quality of work 

3. Active Customer 
contact 

4. Appointment scheduling 

  Service 

1. Delivery of the vehicle 

 2. Introduction of 

Service Personnel 

6. Complete repair order 

with fixed price 

8. Customer service 

7. Workshop planning 

9. Part pre-order 

5. Personalised 

reception

13. Customer follow-up