If you're going to start a business, be prepared to handle any complaint!

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When starting a business, you approach it with a major resolve, saying, "Alright, I'm going to do this!" but there is one important resolve you must never forget.

And what is that? It is to "be prepared to handle any complaint that comes your way".

You'll realize this once you actually receive a serious complaint; it puts a burden on you in many different ways.

Especially mentally and financially.

When I was working for a company in the past, I dealt with all sorts of complaints and handled them each time.

Sometimes the fault was mine, sometimes it was caused by colleagues, subordinates, or contractors. Or there were equipment malfunctions.

You never know what will cause a complaint. On top of that, handling complaints often causes significant delays to your actual work.

That said, as an employee, even if a complaint is too much to handle, the company will ultimately take responsibility. For example, a boss or the president might apologize directly to the customer to resolve it, or the company might pay for damages.

Because of that experience, I have the resolve that if I start a business, I am the one responsible—the business owner—who must handle whatever happens.

Even if a problem occurs, I absolutely cannot run away.

If you ask various self-employed people about their past troubles, you'll see that everyone has had all sorts of experiences.

For example, while painting a house, some shady person might intentionally park a high-end foreign car next to the site and claim that paint got on it.

For example, a neighbor might barge in because the construction noise is too loud, causing the work to stop entirely.

For example, the construction schedule might be delayed, leading to a claim for breach of contract penalties.

These are mainly complaints related to home renovation, but it seems like these things could happen anytime.

This applies not only to housing-related fields but to various industries as well. If such a problem occurs, you certainly cannot just leave it alone. You are required to respond quickly and sincerely.

No matter how much of a mental or financial burden it may be.

Do you have that much resolve? You cannot neglect your customers, after all.

Even if you get fed up and decide to abandon the business, it goes without saying that you must finish handling the complaints first.

That is how much resolve is required.

My business involves face-to-face work where I see the customer's face, so even if a problem occurs, there is transparency, and I can deal with it immediately.

There are many business owners who operate 100% online, but naturally, because it is a faceless business dealing with an unspecified number of people, it is even more unpredictable what might happen.

That is why online business is not for me (laughs).

Thinking about that, when I started my business, I decided to only deal with "good customers."

Since I mainly do construction, renovations, and odd jobs, I inevitably have to deal with customers face-to-face. When I was building up those customers as my regular clients, I started by focusing on people I felt I could have a lifelong relationship with.

Since then, my customer base has grown, but because of that standard, the number of good customers referred by other good customers has gradually increased.

Even when I get a response from a flyer, I observe the person carefully before accepting the job.

I say "no" to inquiries that prioritize discounts and are heavily focused on getting multiple quotes. I have no intention of taking those on from the start.

This is the good thing about being self-employed. You can decide everything yourself.

Thanks to that, I haven't had anything resembling a complaint since I started my business. As a result, I have no mental stress. Of course, even in this blessed environment, if a complaint does arise, I will deal with it with all my might.

This is from my own experience, but people who only talk about discounts will almost 100% of the time cause a complaint during or after the construction.

It is strange, but please remember this because it is important.
No matter how low your sales are, you should not make such people your customers.

Even if your work involves dealing with an unspecified number of people, I don't want you to flee from the enemy. Even if you don't see a prospect of solving it yourself, there are plenty of other ways.

Depending on the content, it is perfectly fine to consult the police or a lawyer. Friends or fellow business owners are also fine. There is no need to carry the problem alone.
Make full use of government services as well.

A sole proprietorship is individual, but it is not alone. You can increase your horizontal connections.Fellow business owners are surely thinking the same thing. "The more connections you have, the safer you are."

You don't need to be extremely anxious, but you should have measures in place for when something happens.

For example, taking out insurance is one of them.
Because of the nature of my work, I have construction liability insurance. For a few thousand yen a month.
The amount varies depending on the scale of the business.

Rarely, there are craftsmen who don't have liability insurance, and I myself might create a defect on-site.

There are various types of insurance, so arranging insurance that suits your industry is one way to go.

Let's prepare various canes in advance so you don't fall over due to complaints.
Narihiko Kaiun

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