Do you ever feel that nothing seems to run smoothly? You make a purchase and there’s something wrong with it, so you have to take it back to the shop and complain. You renew your insurance and the new documents don’t turn up, so you have to phone and complain. You travel to work by train and it turns up late every morning for a week… so you feel furious and complain!
But there’s a right way to do it and a wrong way. If you do it right you get the response you want – and sometimes a bit of extra compensation. If you do it the wrong way it can lead to unpleasantness and you don’t always get things put right.
So, here are some tips on making a complaint the right way:
- When you need to complain about something – poor service, poor quality goods, or whatever – you should do it promptly. Write your letter/email or make your phone call as soon as possible after the mistake has been made. For example, if you go on holiday and think your accommodation is not up to standard complain immediately – don’t suffer in silence and wait until you get home to do it.
- Don’t waffle – get straight to the point. If you waffle the other person will think you are embarrassed and this will give them an advantage.
- Be firm. You are much more likely to get a good result if you are regarded as someone who expects the situation to be put right – not someone who merely hopes it will be!
- Even if you are angry, always be polite. Make your point clearly but don’t be aggressive. If you are rude the other person will be less likely to try to see your point of view. Also, if you are dealing with a large company you will initially be talking to young staff who have little authority – so it is unfair to be rude to them. It’s not their fault.
- Either tell the person you are dealing with what you would like them to do to solve your problem or ask them what they intend to do. The easier you make it for them, the better the result.
My husband jokes that I’m one of the best complainers he’s ever met. I always bear these tips in mind and they really do work!
But next week I’ll be looking at the subject from the other side. Whether you run your own business or work for someone else, I’ll be giving you some tips on how to deal with people when the shoe is on the other foot and you have to deal with a complaint.
Author: Diana Nadinl
