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COMPLAINTS? SORRY I'M BRITISH !
We British are just
terrible at complaining. It's not in our nature you know. Stiff upper lip and
all that ? "Don't want to 'rock the boat' old boy!" We grin and bear it. Often
you'll hear a British person say in a crowd " Sorry" - when someone
else treads on their feet!
We're getting better
- well a little perhaps. At least when served poor food in restaurants, we are
starting to complain. But when it comes to poor goods and services, and high
rip-off prices we still have a long way to go!
So next time you're
not happy with the service you received or the product you bought,
COMPLAIN ABOUT IT! It's your right, your duty, even your
responsibility in the marketplace. Unfortunately, a lot of people don't
complain. The biggest reason for that is they don't believe it will do any
good. But if you knew what business knew, you'd think otherwise.
Consider this; it is
more expensive for a company to go out and find a new customer than it is to
satisfy an unhappy customer. But wait, there's more. A customer who has a
complaint resolved will be more loyal to that company than she/he would be if
there was no problem to begin with. Hey, the message is simple; it's in a
company's best interest to keep you happy! The trick is to use this to your
advantage.
A lot of the basic
advice for complaining holds true; be clear and straight to the point, keep
accurate records of your particular problem and be direct but not rude or
insulting. Beyond the basics, there are two very important things that are
often overlooked.
The first is to know
what it is that will make you happy and tell this to the company. Give them the
solution to your problem. This sounds odd, but this makes things very easy for
the company. Their choice now becomes very simple; either they can do it, or
they don't. Don't get carried away, though. Make sure what you want is
reasonable and something the company can deliver on. Lastly, don't lose your
dignity. This may not effect the outcome of your complaint, but it will effect
your well being. It's bad enough a company has failed to live up to your
expectations, don't let them strip you of your dignity in the process.
Complaining isn't a
bad thing, although you may have thought it was when you were growing up. How
many times did your parents say "No, you can't have that" or "Stop complaining,
or I'll give you something to complain about"?. And then there is the fact that
we're British. We tend to have this self-image as a very polite,
non-threatening people, more likely to turn the other cheek than turn up the
heat. Well you know what....GET OVER IT!
Complaining can be a
very good thing, a powerful force in the market place that keeps commerce
honest on it's toes. And the best part? It's free. You get the right and
privelage to complain with every transaction you make. So the next time you're
not happy with the service at a restaurant or the furniture arrives later than
the date promised or the bank is charging you more than they should be.....you
KNOW what to do!
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