The mail order company sends you the wrong size. Or your bank deducts an unfair service charge. Or a restaurant meal arrives late to your table, cold and tasteless.
It is inevitable that you will be disappointed or possibly angry about something a business did or didn’t do for you. To lodge a complaint, ask for a refund, request an exchange or demand an apology is the right of every customer. But it helps to know the smart way to go about it.
Here are five excellent tips on how to complain if you want a positive outcome:
- Stay calm. Hostility, anger, profanity and ultimatums do not help your case and probably hurt it.
- Be concise. State your argument clearly and succinctly. Get right to the point without exaggeration.
- Ask precisely for what you want – a credit, discount, exchange – and request a time frame that will satisfy you.
- Be as helpful to the customer service representative as you can. Ask their name and how to reach them again if necessary. Keep records of your interaction and details of the conversation.
- Don’t use social media to lodge your complaint until all else fails.
Today we are forced to deal more often with corporations disrupting our daily lives with mistakes or mishaps. When it happens to you take a deep breath and remember that even though businesses don’t have hearts and minds, the people who work for them do. So when complaining to a representative from a business that has done you wrong, treat him or her as you would want to be treated. A calm demeanor just might help resolve your issue more quickly, efficiently and peacefully.