Complaining Gets Results and So Should You

17 July 2012 Team MJ No comments

Nobody wants to deal with aggressive behavior and most people, when threatened, will end up avoiding or ignoring you.

Lev Dolgatsjov/photoxpress

In our previous article, we told you about how Team MJ overcame its disappointment, successfully complained, and got positive results. You can too if you follow these simple steps:

Make sure you have a basis for your complaint. Are you still within the warranty period? Is the feature you wanted actually included in the product description? Are you entitled to the service based on what you paid for? Read the fine print or politely ask management to confirm the terms of their sale or offer.
Don’t delay. If you find that you have grounds to complain, don’t delay. Bring it to the attention of the establishment as soon as possible. If you haven’t left the store or the restaurant, then management would be in a good position to resolve the situation since they have resources at hand. Also, you would be able to show them the damaged item or explain to them the shoddy service you received right there and then. If you only discover the damage when you get home, don’t wait for weeks before bringing it to their attention. The warranty period might expire, or there may be grounds to show that the damage wasn’t caused by the establishment you’re complaining about.
Know what you want. When you talk to the store or the service provider, let them know how they can help you. It’s no good being angry at them if they don’t know what they can do to make things better for you. Tell them exactly how their service or product has let you down and inform them what you want in return. Be reasonable and make sure that what you’re asking for is within their ability and related to your original transaction.

When you talk to the store or the service provider, let them know how they can help you.

Christopher Hall/photoxpress

Document your complaint. Whether you make a complaint now or later, it is always good to have proof. Take pictures, keep receipts, write an account of what happened so that you can have a record of what happened. You never know when you might need it to prove your case.
Maintain a respectful dialogue. Be polite. Screaming might get you short term results, but more often than not, it will just end in stress and aggravation for you when the establishment ends up stonewalling you because they do not want to engage with you. Nobody wants to deal with aggressive behavior and most people, when threatened, will end up avoiding or ignoring you. Which means that your problem remains unresolved. Talk to them in a reasonable manner and make them empathize with you as a person.
Escalate. If the person you complained to cannot solve your problems, find out the name of his or her supervisor and bring your complaint to a higher authority who may have more power. If this still doesn’t work, find out the remedies available to you under the law and file a complaint with the Department of Trade and Industry or other relevant government agency. Make your case public, or communicate to the establishment through their webpage or social media sites and see if increased public scrutiny and the threat of lost customers will result in better behavior.
Maintain a relationship. If your problem gets resolved, say thank you.