Studies have found that fewer than four percent of unhappy customers complain to someone who could correct their problem. In his book The Customer is Boss, John Tschohl gives us encouragement, he writes, “You ought to complain because it is your right to do so – because businesses are wrong to make you wait 20 minutes… wrong to turn loose, salespeople who know little more about the merchandise they’re selling than how to turn it on and off. “

Tschohl continues, “Since you pay for service, you’re being cheated when you get neglect and even insults. So, complain to avoid injustice… and also headaches, high blood pressure and hyper ventilation.”

Excellent advice! Someone once told me that she would get a bell, just a little dinner bell, which she’ll keep in her purse and ring vigorously whenever she experienced bad service. But, like customer service itself, there is an art to complaining effectively and ringing bells, abusive language and shouting, is not part of it.

In my experience, both as a customer and an employee, I’ve found that there are Seven Golden Rules of Complaining:

1. Be reasonable. If you’re dining out and the waiter drops a spoon, don’t fold your napkin and demand he be fired.
2. Be firm but never shout or use abusive language. This only puts the employee on the defensive and gets you nowhere.
3. Be specific. Make sure you have all the facts and know exactly what you need to resolve the situation.
4. Talk only to the person who has the authority to rectify the situation. If that’s the CEO, than communicate with him.
5. Agree on a reasonable time limit for action. You shouldn’t demand that your decorator re-do the counter top in one day, but you don’t need to wait three weeks to have money refunded to your account either.
6. Keep a written record of all conversations and agreements.
7. Be persistent, don’t give up.

Once you’re in the right, the company should actually thank you, because the benefit is actually theirs. How so, you ask?

Well, research from TARP, a specialist and innovator in the measurement of customer satisfaction and loyalty for the past thirty years, has found that consumers who complain and are satisfied with the resolution are between two and five times more likely to purchase than those who do not complain.

 Even when the complaint was not satisfactorily resolved, consumers were more likely to repurchase than if they did not complain. TARP found that repurchase intentions ranged from 31% for non-complainants to 75% for satisfied complainants. TARP also found an increase in purchase of other products and services offered by the company, by satisfied complainants. The research also discovered that for every person who complains, 26 more don’t. That would mean if a company receives 20 complaints, there are 520 more out there it doesn’t know about. That’s 520 customers who’ll take their dollars elsewhere.

It would make sense then, for companies to actually solicit feedback from their customers. Ensure that customer comment cards are always in easy reach of the customer. Let your employees know they shouldn’t run and hide when they see “that customer who does complain plenty.”

Our last words. Managers, train your staff in the art of customer service, solicit complaints and ensure your only real job security, as stated by Jack Welch, former CEO, General Electric, “Companies can’t ensure job security, only customers can do that”

Lorraine Villaroel is the Marketing Manager, Quality Service at IBB Limited.
Email her at quality@ibbglobal.com