Listed below are outrageous examples of poor or simply outstanding complaint handling. We invite you to submit your "best" examples. We won't print any company names with the "poor" examples, because we believe that every organization fails from time to time. We will give credit to companies delighting their customers. In the case of the "poor" examples, we'll comment on how we think this situation could have been handled better. If you want us to list your name, please tell us that is what you want to do.  

It is TMI's intention that each one of these examples will increase your personal understanding of how to improve your own complaint handling.  

We're changing our format a little this month. Instead of dealing with a specific complaint, we are going to look at a category of complaints: the ones you can do nothing about. Many of our readers tell us their customers complain about things that they can do absolutely nothing about, and that this is frustrating for them. How do you handle these kinds of situations, they ask.  

I love this question. It makes me think about all the times when I have complained knowing full well nothing could be done about the situation, and I suspect our readers have done the same thing. What are some examples of this type of complaint?  

It's raining. (I'm on my one vacation to Hawaii this year, and it's raining.)  

My package didn't arrive. (There's a major blizzard that has closed down shipping operations across the United States.)  

I can hear the airplanes landing and taking off at the airport. (I'm staying at an airport hotel which is just one mile from the runways.)  

There's no parking available. (No one has free parking for any building in the area.)  

I've been waiting for a half hour. (You are at an emergency room with relatively minor problem, and a major disaster has occurred occupying all the emergency personnel.)  

Why do we do complain about situations that nothing can be done about? I think there are a variety of answers.  

1) We're just trying to make conversation. It's not the best attempt at conversation, but nonetheless it gives us something to say.  

2) We're upset for some other reason than the one we have just communicated.  

3) We don't really know that nothing can be done.  

4) We're looking for sympathy.  

5) We're looking for alternatives.  

If we understand that there are some legitimate reasons why people complain about situations that nothing can be done about, we are more likely to approach our customers with concern and an appropriate response. If we hear such a complaint and sound off with a disparaging response in our minds, then the customer probably feels this slight and we have the beginnings of a dissatisfying communication. For example, the customer says, "It's raining," and you think: "Duh, and what do you want me to do about it?! After all, I'm not God. Get a life. I've got more important things to do than sit around and discuss the weather." Even if you never vocalize these types of thoughts, the customer will probably hear this mental chatter at some level. If nothing else, they'll read it in your facial expression.  

Instead, why not use the complaint as an opportunity to learn more about your customer. You can respond with sympathy. About the rain: "Yes, and that's really too bad. Especially if you are here on a special vacation this year. Are you?" And now you give the customer a chance to talk about him or herself. If you have a similar experience about yourself, then share it. Many people get over their feelings of dissapointment simply by talking about them. The customer can walk away from such an exchange with the sun shining on their feelings, even if the clouds are pouring buckets. Suggest some alternatives for your guests when it's raining, and if you haven't talked about this in your meetings, then bring the subject up so that everyone at your hotel or resort has a good answer for this type of complaint. What alternatives can you suggest to your guests when it's raining? You might suggest shopping, or some indoor entertainment, or if there is only a mild rain storm passing through with no lightning, you might suggest swimming. It's a lot of fun to swim when it's raining!  

If the customers are complaining about packages that haven't arrived because a blizzard has shut down transportation operations, they not know about this. Believe it or not, but not everyone watches or listens to the news. Tell them what's happening, and how everyone is in the same boat, and you're really sorry this has happened. When you apologize for these kinds of situations, you aren't assuming responsibility for it. You're sympathizing for their inconvenience. Research suggests that when customers understand there is truly nothing we can do to fix the situation, they become more understanding. And weather is a tough one for U.P.S., the Post Office or Fed Ex to fix! Tell them what you are doing about the situation in terms of tracking packages, and ask if there is anything you can do to help. Chances are, they will understand there isn't much anyone can do, and they'll be grateful you asked. If there is an alternative to suggest, then do provide your customer with that alternative.  

The most important thing to realize is that your customer is expressing dissatisfaction, and it does notmatter whether it's your fault or not. And it does not even really matter whether you can do something about the situation. You can listen sympathetically, distract the customer by getting to know each other, offer explanations, or suggest alternatives. Removing dissatisfaction is part of our responsibility as service providers, and when you learn to do this easily, you are giving your customers a genuine gift. They complained and gave you a gift, and now you can return the favor. The alternative is that we all get upset with each other, and that's never a good way to build your business.  
 

Previous "Complaint Is A Gift Corner" pages:  
#1 ,  #2 ,  #3  

We invite you to submit your "best" examples by fax or e-mail. We won't print any company names with the "poor" examples, because we believe that every organization fails from time to time. We will give credit to companies delighting their customers. In the case of the "poor" examples, we'll comment on how we think this situation could have been handled better. If you want us to list your name, please tell us that is what you want to do.

 

A Complaint Is a Gift, The Training Program  

  A Complaint Is a Gift, The Book  

Note: We have been getting e-mail from our readers asking us to list the names of the companies who get complaints. Our policy is to never list names. The reason for this is because every company fails from time to time, and we wouldn't want to tar some company's name just because of one bad example. Furthermore, we are dependant upon the writer's side of the story. We don't know for sure what happened, and in the name of fairness, we will not post names. Furthermore, the purpose of this corner is not to pass complaints along to corporations. This Complaint Is a Gift corner is designed to look at examples of good and bad complaint handling so we can learn from these experiences. Please, if you have a direct complaint you want a company to learn about, contact them directly. In many cases, we have never heard of the company in question and have no idea how to reach them. Janelle Barlow

tel: 702 939-1800 
 
fax: 702 939-1804 
 
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