Page 32 - A Complaint is a Gift Excerpt

30 complaints

customer, but as Weir points out, they probably also noted that this cus-
tomer had a legitimate complaint and was treated rudely. Th e custom-
ers who were watching may have questioned whether the company was
genuinely interested in taking care of its customers.
Th e moment individuals or companies give any hint that they view
complainers with suspicion or rudeness, customers will take a defensive
position or fi ght back. Or even worse, they may go away angry and not
say anything to the company headquarters but tell everyone they know,
and the company will have no chance to defend itself.
Some individuals lack gracious social skills and may appear inappro-
priate when they complain. Th ey get nervous and may seem harsh, angry,
or even stupid. Th ey may not have experience with what is reasonable.
Th e service provider must learn to focus on the content of the complaint
and the emotions presented and not whether the complaint is delivered
in a socially acceptable way. Th is is asking a lot of service providers, but
if they adopt the mind-set that complaints are gift s, they start from the
best foundation to handle one of the most diffi cult aspects of customer
relations.