What to do when a client complains

Every other guide on this site assumes the job went fine. This one is for the job that did not go fine. It is also for the client who thinks it did not, which costs you the same afternoon. Handle a complaint well and it is forgotten in a week. Handle it badly, or not at all, and it becomes the review that costs you the next three jobs.

Reply the same day, even before you know the fix

Reply within the day, even if you have decided nothing yet. A client who complains and hears nothing back reads the silence as "you do not care". That looks worse than almost any answer you could give. A short message that says you got it and you are on it buys you time. You can then work out the right response properly. Do not promise anything on the spot that you will regret.

Get the facts before you promise anything

Ask what happened and when it happened. Ask for a photo if you can photograph the job. An annoyed client often describes the problem in general terms, such as "it is just not right". You need the specific thing before you can price a fix. You also need it to decide whether you agree there is a problem at all.

Deal with the work before you talk about money

Settle the work question first. What is wrong, and what would put it right? Move to the question of who pays only after you agree that. If you raise a refund before you agree what went wrong, a fixable job becomes an argument about money. That argument can wait.

Cost the fix before you choose a response

Work out what a return visit, a part credit and a full refund would cost you. Do it before you offer any of them. A return visit might be an hour of your time and no new materials. A refund is the whole invoice, gone. Know the real number behind each option. Then you can offer the one that is fair to both sides. Do not just pick the one that ends the conversation fastest.

The four responses, and when each one fits

When you know what went wrong and what each fix would cost, one of four responses almost always applies:

• Go back and fix it. Use this when you can correct the work and the cost is mostly your own time. You pay for a return visit. It is usually the response the client hopes for.
• A part credit. Use this when the job is mostly fine but fell short in one place. You cannot undo what is done, but you can take something off the price. It costs you a fixed, named amount. It does not cost the whole invoice.
• A full refund. Save this for a job that you cannot correct. Use it also for a client you do not want to keep. It costs you the entire job, with materials and time.
• Hold the line. Use this when you checked the facts and did the work properly. It costs you the disagreement, and sometimes the client. But a refund you do not owe teaches every future client that a complaint is worth a try.

Put the outcome in writing, the same day

When you have decided, confirm it in writing the same day. Say what you agreed to do and by when. Either of you can easily misremember a phone call a week later. A written record settles the question if the same job ever comes up again.

Change the terms so it can’t repeat

Your terms may have missed something the complaint points at. Perhaps there was no scope line, no stated timeline or nothing about materials. Fix the terms, not just this one job. The same gap opens again on the next job unless you close it in writing before you quote. Record a part credit properly too. Use a credit note against the original invoice. Do not quietly edit a number. A credit note keeps your own records straight.

When it stops being a complaint and becomes a payment dispute

A complaint is about the work. Something is wrong, and the client wants it put right. A payment dispute is about the money. The work was fine, but the client is not paying. Maybe you made a fair offer and the client still will not pay what is left. Then this guide no longer applies. See what to do when a client won’t pay for what comes next.

Common questions

Do I have to give a refund if a client asks for one?

There is no single rule. Refund rights change by country and by what you sold. Decide case by case. Cost the fix, then choose one of the four responses above. Whichever way you decide, reply the same day and put the outcome in writing.

What if the client is being unreasonable?

Deal with the facts first, not the tone. Ask what happened, cost the fix and make your offer. Maybe the client still will not accept a fair offer. Then hold the line and say so plainly. You do not have to raise the offer each time they push.

Should a full refund always be the safe choice?

No. It is only one of four options, and not the one to start with. Weigh it against a return visit or a part credit. Those usually cost you less and still put things right. Save the full refund for jobs that nothing else can fix.

What if the same complaint keeps coming up from different clients?

Then the cause is in your process. When the same complaint shows up twice, fix the step that causes it. Update your terms or your job checklist. The third client then has no chance to raise it.

Handle it once, then let it go

The same few moves apply whether the fix is small or the refund is the whole invoice:

Copy the two scripts above, or all seven at once. Fill in your details at the top of the complaints and refunds pack. You personalize them the same way as the rest of the site’s scripts. Extra work that comes out of a fix belongs on its own record. Price it with the extra work and scope scripts. The same same-day habit carries over to the follow-up that wins the next job once you close this one. A booking that moves is a different problem from a job that went wrong. Cancellations and no-shows covers it.