The Art of Complaining and Getting Results

The Art of Complaining and Getting Results

(Since customers are paying for the products and services they are buying, they have every right to complain if the product or service does not deliver what it promises.)

A few days ago one of my colleagues asked me to accompany him to a departmental store. He wanted to replace a jar containing baby food. The reason, the date of expiry was over. He was not very sure about the outcome, but was very sure that it would not be very easy to get a replacement or complete refund. Both of us went to the department store. While my colleague was arguing with the manager about a replacement, I took the opportunity to visit the shelf, which was decorated with such jars. I took some time to notice the expiry dates of some jars. By this time my colleague and the manager was locked in a heated dialogue. The manager was clearly not ready to exchange the product. I went to the manager with a broad smile in my face and asked him very politely to come with me to see if all the jars contain the same expiry date. After some time he came with me. I took a jar from the shelf and showed him that the date had expired just like the jar my colleague had bought. Then I took another jar, which had some time left before expiry. Then I asked the manager if I could just change my jar with this one. He had no choice but to agree with a smile. Some friendly conversation followed after that but the fact remained the same, I had got what I wanted.

The point is heated dialogue; arguments generally cannot solve a problem. A bit of planning and preparation is essential to receive some acceptable result.

Complaining as an art form

Since everybody is paying for all the products and services they receive, it is important that the products and services deliver the promise it makes. Customers should not feel that they have been cheated. If the service is not fulfilling the promise it makes, customers have every right to complain and get the result. A complaint can make difference, even if the complaint maker does not receive the benefit, somebody will receive the benefit in the future. Just like if you report a crime to police, it will benefit general people in the long run.

Complaining effectively is an art form; here are some guiding principles for crafting complaint and getting results.

1. Timing Timing is extremely important. If you find problem in government or private organization in which you are paying for the service, complain while you are receiving the service. If you think that you shall never use the service again or suggest others for not to receive their service, you are not doing the right thing. Complain to solve the problem immediately. In this way you are creating the environment for the management to help you. There are some people who cannot act, as there is no complain available. Who knows, you might just provide this opportunity to grill some culprit or to make some process change.

2. Be Specific While complaining, be specific. Do not make complain in such a way that you look like a troublemaker rather than a reasonable person. Mention the specific problem and give the reasons for thinking such a way. Please be specific about the remedies. Please also be ready to follow the rules if any. If the complain is about a person, please take some pain to know the name and designation of that person. As in most of the cases, complains are not entertained without names. Please be ready to give your name and address.

3. Follow the procedures The easiest way to complain is to use a complain book or any other prescribed method. Please do not think that complain books do not solve the problem. If you write about any complain in such books it will be entertained. Problems are persistent, as people do not use the prescribed procedures. Just think how many of us ever written in a complain book while traveling by train. Probably none. But the problems are persistent. If you complain you can always track back about the outcome of that complain. It gives a reference number, which can be checked or rechecked by any high official.

4. Be nice and diplomatic Acting civilly is the most effective tool for resolving a problem and getting effective results. Never lose your temper or raise your voice. Keep a smiling face. Make your demands logically and according to the rule. Illogical behavior (such as shouting, or saying " I want it NOW!") will not make your complain any stronger.Example: On a flight from Kolkata to Chennai, I requested a Muslim meal. My seat was very near to tail, which is the next-to-last seat on the plane, right in front of the rest room. By the time the meal tray worked its way down the aisle, all the Muslim dishes were gone. So were the vegetarian dishes. The flight attendant offered me a fish dinner. I told her that I completely understood that the Muslim meals weren't available, and I assured her that I didn't think she was to blame for the shortage, but said I preferred to skip the meal. "Let me see what I can do," she said. A few minutes later, she returned with a vegetarian meal from the first-class cabin. Complaining about inadequate meal service after the flight would have resulted in a letter of apology. Instead, I landed an apology and a first-class dinner.

5. Practice makes perfect Politeness, persistent and proactive is the best way to complain and resolve any grievance. But it also takes practice. Remember that people engaged in handling complain are equipped with some readymade answers. They will try to ignore your complain by saying that the problem is really very insignificant and not at all serious.

With a little practice, you'll learn to recognize these deflection strategies and master the fine art of complaining and getting result.