Empowering Young Entrepreneurs through Business Communication Training and Complaint Handling

Abstract

This community engagement program aims to improve business communication competence and complaint handling skills among young entrepreneurs who are members of the Young Entrepreneur Success (YES) community in Semarang. The main problem faced by the participants is the limited ability to communicate effectively when responding to customer complaints, particularly in digital transactions, which may reduce customer satisfaction and loyalty. The program was implemented through participatory training methods consisting of interactive lectures, group discussions, case simulations, and role-play activities on customer complaint management, as well as mentoring in developing standard operating procedures (SOPs) for customer service. A total of 45 young MSME entrepreneurs from various business sectors participated in this activity. The results indicate an improvement in participants’ understanding of empathetic communication, strategies for responding to customer complaints, and their ability to develop and implement SOPs for complaint handling in their business operations. This initiative contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 8 on Decent Work and Economic Growth, by strengthening entrepreneurial capacity and improving service professionalism among young MSME actors.