|
|
 The Art Of Complaining
Posted Mon July 24, 2006, by
PFB user Matt has written an insightful comment which addresses what he sees as being a common malady amongst consumers today.
That being a distinct tendency on the part of a lot of people to employ a scorched earth offensive when dealing with perceived slights.
As in, because of one incident, THE WHOLE COMPANY SUCKS AND NEEDS TO BE PUT OUT OF BUSINESS.
I happen to believe there are several forces which drive such behavior. One is completely legitimate. When we choose to give our hard earned money to a company, there is a certain bond which is created. Our purchase gives us a certain amount of standing in the company's eyes that would not otherwise be there; an obligation, if you will. The company is now obligated to satisfy our needs and wants. They should give us what we paid for whether it be goods or services. And if they don't, we have a right to complain.
And here cometh the rub. Far too many folks take that "standing" and try to push it to the max for their own benefit. In an effort to be "fair", companies give in and thus create even more of what they seek to avoid. Worse yet, there is a certain subset of consumers who have grown up believing that spending $5 on a product is the same as spending $25 and they want $25 service for only $5.
The mainstream news media goes a LONG way toward feeding this perception. A while back there was a huge flurry of stories about how banks, gasp, give better service to those who pay more for their various accounts. So, if you had a free checking account, you might not get help with an account problem as quickly as the guy who paid enormous fees for his accounts. This was painted by the media as some sort of unfair activity on the part of the banks. Claptrap. It's just the classic case of getting what you pay for.
But there are a LOT of people who think they shouldnt have to pay a lot to get a lot. And that's just flat wrong. This kind of thinking also feeds (wrongly) the perception that customer service has gone downhill. After all, if you're being told your demands are excessive and you think they aren't, it's only natural to think you're getting "poor" customer service.
And if you're the kind of customer who routinely makes excessive demands then it only stands to reason you think that, overall, customer service stinks and the little guy cant catch a break.
PlanetFeedback is an excellent tool for making your voice heard. I don't, however, believe everything I read on here is representative of the general consumer climate out there because, if I did, I wouldn't go out in the morning nor would I use ANYONE's goods and services.
Companies generally handle complaints on an individual basis. I firmly believe that the way we handle ourselves when making a complaint has just as much an influence on the eventual resolution as the veracity of the complaint itself. And, if you're gonna scream and yell and try to bully a company right off the bat, there's a distinct possibility you're not going to get what you want. Or you might, on occasion, however everything will be nothing but a battle.
In other words, it's your right to scorch the earth if you want...just be prepared to have nothing but ashes when you're finished.
 Reply
| Log In/Create an account | 11 comments |
|
|
| PlanetFeedback Comments are subject to strict terms and conditions. We reserve the right to deny site membership privileges to any individuals acting inappropriately. |
 |
 |
 |
|
by B-rad Posted Fri September 29, 2006 @ 9:39 AM
|
|
|
hi im Brad Cook
Reply
|
|
|
|
|
|
by Jordan Bess Posted Tue September 26, 2006 @ 9:41 AM
|
|
|
I work at Red Lobster, and typically weekends are pretty busy, with a
wait time of 30+ minutes. While some people genuinely know that this
is typical, other believe it's wrong we make them wait, and end up
getting dinner free...
the whole complaining thing is getting out of hand people....
Reply
|
|
|
|
|
|
by Venice Posted Wed July 26, 2006 @ 4:29 PM
|
|
|
"I firmly believe that the way we handle ourselves when making a
complaint has just as much an influence on the eventual resolution as
the varacity of the complaint itself."
I firmly believe that the way we handle ourselves when making a
complaint is the single most important factor influencing the eventual
resolution. I always thought that was common knowledge until I
started reading the letters on PFB. As a matter of fact, what
intrigued me the most when I first discovered this site was the manner
in which some letter writers conveyed their complaints. Second to that
was the unbelievable sense of entitlement. That is not a winning
combination, and yet most people continue that strategy with no
success.
Reply
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I liked your implication that expectations often exceed reality. If
you shop at Wal-mart, don't expect Saks Fifth Avenue service, and
don't expect Wal-mart prices at Saks.
Other excellent points as well. I just thought this was great.
Reply
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
by Leanne l Posted Tue July 25, 2006 @ 12:27 PM
|
|
|
the huge post that had been deleted?
Reply
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
SHARED LETTERS 
del.icio.us
Digg this
