We all know that our customers are the life blood of our companies. When a customer has a complaint, it is our job to resolve the issue or risk losing a customer - never a good idea. Sometimes the solution is as easy as listening to your customer.

Here are 5 steps that will go a long way in turning that unhappy customer around:

Let them know you are there to help. When customers are on a rampage - listen! When you get a chance to say something, tell them you want to solve the problem.

Ask for details. Detailed questions are designed to give you enough information to start solving the problem.

Paraphrase what they tell you. Before you work on a solution, repeat the problem to them in your own words to be sure you understand their complaint. You might say "Before I take care of this for you, I want to make sure I have all the facts".

Tell them how much you value them. When customers have problems, they feel unappreciated. Let them know how much they mean to your company. You might say "We value your business, so I want to correct this for you quickly".

Tell them how you are going to solve the problem. This is the moment your customer has been waiting for - you are going to fix things and make them right. But depending on how they've been treated by other companies, they may not believe you. In this case you might say "Here's what I can do for you" and then tell him - whether it's to replace a defective item, correct a billing charge, ship an expedited replacement. Ask them if that will work for them and then thank them for allowing you to fix their problem.

Notice the "thank you" at the end. That goes a long way toward reassuring customers that it is your company's policy to solve their problems. 

The best benefit is having that now happy customer tell others about how you helped him.