Do you find it easy to complain about bad service

[Deleted User] · 17/02/14 - 20:00

I've just made a complaint about the bad service I received from Virgin Media. I can be quite easy going but the service today just made me see red. I had my call cut off twice by two different personnel who, clearly, just couldn't deal with my problem.

Do you find it easy to complain? How much would you put up with before you complained?

Goneril · 17/02/14 - 20:10

Yes,but it wasn't always the case.

Raquelos. · 17/02/14 - 20:10

I don't find it that hard to complain if the circumstances justify it, but my husband is great at it. He just calmly states the problem and why it is unacceptable and what he expects them to do about it. It's the last bit that's great because it means they can skip through the meaningless apology stage and just get to the free upgrade / money off bit with minimal hassle. As long as you keep your expectations reasonable and are polite I think that the staff dealing with the complaint are fairly grateful for that approach tbh.

[Deleted User] · 17/02/14 - 20:17

Goneril wrote: »

Yes,but it wasn't always the case.

I used to be the same.

[Deleted User] · 17/02/14 - 20:18

Raquelos. wrote: »

I don't find it that hard to complain if the circumstances justify it, but my husband is great at it. He just calmly states the problem and why it is unacceptable and what he expects them to do about it. It's the last bit that's great because it means they can skip through the meaningless apology stage and just get to the free upgrade / money off bit with minimal hassle. As long as you keep your expectations reasonable and are polite I think that the staff dealing with the complaint are fairly grateful for that approach tbh.

This is how I deal with things now.

katkim · 17/02/14 - 20:26

I don't find it easy to complain, mainly because when I've calmed down enough to put across my complain coherently I've calmed down enough not to be bothered by it and I just let it go! I know this probably isn't good.

I've been at the receiving end of ranters and ravers, though, and normally have no clue what they're complaining about, what they want or how to help them. I don't want to be that person and just waste everyone's time, including my own.

[Deleted User] · 17/02/14 - 20:29

katkim wrote: »

I don't find it easy to complain, mainly because when I've calmed down enough to put across my complain coherently I've calmed down enough not to be bothered by it and I just let it go! I know this probably isn't good.

katkim wrote: »

Does this mean you probably didn't have reason to complain in the first place?

I've been at the receiving end of ranters and ravers, though, and normally have no clue what they're complaining about, what they want or how to help them. I don't want to be that person and just waste everyone's time, including my own.

Are you customer services personnel? If so, you need to know exactly how to find out what people are complaining about surely? Calling them 'ranters and ravers' doesn't help, it merely puts you in a (false) position of superiority while the situation goes unsolved. How strange.

Edit, don't know what happened to the quotes there but my first question is in your post.

Hotgossip · 17/02/14 - 20:32

Yes I do. However, I also find it quite easy to praise businesses too and I do that quite often.

Si_Crewe · 17/02/14 - 20:32

Depends, I guess.

If I was at a restaurant, for example, and the waiters ignored me or seemed rude, that kind of thing wouldn't bother me enough to warrant a complaint.
I'd just chalk it up to experience, leave a shitty tip and go elsewhere in future.

If it was something like broadband or Sky, where I'd paid for a quantifiable service and I hadn't actually got what I'd paid for I'd certainly have no hesitation in complaining.

Did that last year (IIRC) with BT and got 3 months free internet by way of apology.

[Deleted User] · 17/02/14 - 20:34

Hotgossip wrote: »

Yes I do. However, I also find it quite easy to praise businesses too and I do that quite often.

It's really important to do this and I do it too.

I wonder how many people actually do go out of their way to praise?

Porcupine · 17/02/14 - 20:34

Yes. I don't complain often. I mainly complain to Tesco. They delivery my shopping monthly, and its very rare that they get it right. I will complain in a restaurant if something is wrong. I once moaned about a cheesecake that looked and tasted like it had curdled. I also complained after waiting 90 mins for our main course. We received free drinks.

Si_Crewe · 17/02/14 - 20:36

Kim_Bolton wrote: »

I wonder how many people actually do go out of their way to praise?

I once phoned up eBay to thank them for the way they sorted something out for me and it confused the hell out of the poor Indian chap I spoke to.

[Deleted User] · 17/02/14 - 20:38

Si_Crewe wrote: »

I once phoned up eBay to thank them for the way they sorted something out for me and it confused the hell out of the poor Indian chap I spoke to.

I've had that! I wonder if it's just not in their training to learn how to accept praise - I'm sure it's not on the list of priorities!

Picto · 17/02/14 - 20:44

I'm so English that i usually thank people for their crappy service.

However, i also apologize to inanimate objects when i walk into them.

emily67 · 17/02/14 - 20:54

oh yes,

i'm a right complainer when i get going!- and if it comes to it, i'll sit their all day until i get the answer i'm looking for- and then i get a sense of yayness when i've got it. like, finally!.

katkim · 17/02/14 - 21:01

Kim_Bolton wrote: »

Are you customer services personnel? If so, you need to know exactly how to find out what people are complaining about surely? Calling them 'ranters and ravers' doesn't help, it merely puts you in a (false) position of superiority while the situation goes unsolved. How strange.

Edit, don't know what happened to the quotes there but my first question is in your post.

I use to work in a call centre when I was a student - sometimes you would get calls when people just screamed at you and it was unclear for some time what the actual problem was. Our training was just to let them get rid of their anger/frustration and only then you could start having a conversation and solve their issues. And yes, sometimes it was ranting and raving (and sometimes not necessarily about the product/service). You can call it superiority if you want, but in some cases it is accurate way to describe it. Fortunately, those types of the threatening and abusive complainers are few and far between and most are reasonable.

I'm mindful that I don't to dish out the same treatment to a customer service rep on the other side.

[Deleted User] · 17/02/14 - 21:04

katkim wrote: »

I use to work in a call centre when I was a student - sometimes you would get calls when people just screamed at you and it was unclear for some time what the actual problem was. Our training was just to let them get rid of their anger/frustration and only then you could start having a conversation and solve their issues. And yes, sometimes it was ranting and raving (and sometimes not necessarily about the product/service). You can call it superiority if you want, but in some cases it is accurate way to describe it. Fortunately, those types of complainers are few and far between and most are reasonable.

Well now you've explained a little more, I begin to understand your reasoning. (I only called it superiority when you failed to explain what you meant).

jackol · 17/02/14 - 21:06

Si_Crewe wrote: »

Depends, I guess.

If I was at a restaurant, for example, and the waiters ignored me or seemed rude, that kind of thing wouldn't bother me enough to warrant a complaint.
I'd just chalk it up to experience, leave a shitty tip and go elsewhere in future.

If it was something like broadband or Sky, where I'd paid for a quantifiable service and I hadn't actually got what I'd paid for I'd certainly have no hesitation in complaining.

Did that last year (IIRC) with BT and got 3 months free internet by way of apology.

I would complain about their attitude and certainly wouldnt leave any tip of any description

Relly · 17/02/14 - 21:13

Yes, I find it easy to complain about bad service, but also find it very easy to praise for good service.

I had to call about my credit card recently because I was trying to pay online and couldn't - yet a-bloody-gain! >:( I logged in, all fine, yet when I went to payments it said the website was experiencing an error - again! So I was annoyed about having to use an 0845 number and go through all the palaver associated with pressing this or that to get through to a bloody human, so this time I thought I'd make my feelings very clear to customer service.

Well. It turned out to be the most amazing fun.

It was all my fault, at the end of the day, because I hadn't registered properly in the first place (

). As the Indian chap was going through the security questions with me (because I couldn't remember my memorable word - I know, right??) he said he'd have to accept my first answer only. I told him it was like being on Who Wants to be a Millionaire, and he politely laughed and agreed.

At the end, when I'd finally validated my account, I asked him "okay, so what do I win then?" and he came back with "Access to your account, Mrs R" and I howled laughing.

He probably gets the same thing said all the time but it was new to me and hilarious.

Anyway, he'd turned me around from a spitting tiger, all very politely and humorously, and I was still giggling later on. I had to phone back and get through to his team leader to compliment the chap.

As someone else said, it took me a few minutes to explain I was ringing to say thank you.

[Deleted User] · 17/02/14 - 21:19

Relly wrote: »

Yes, I find it easy to complain about bad service, but also find it very easy to praise for good service.

I had to call about my credit card recently because I was trying to pay online and couldn't - yet a-bloody-gain! >:( I logged in, all fine, yet when I went to payments it said the website was experiencing an error - again! So I was annoyed about having to use an 0845 number and go through all the palaver associated with pressing this or that to get through to a bloody human, so this time I thought I'd make my feelings very clear to customer service.

Well. It turned out to be the most amazing fun. It was all my fault, at the end of the day, because I hadn't registered properly in the first place (). As the Indian chap was going through the security questions with me (because I couldn't remember my memorable word - I know, right??) he said he'd have to accept my first answer only. I told him it was like being on Who Wants to be a Millionaire, and he politely laughed and agreed.

At the end, when I'd finally validated my account, I asked him "okay, so what do I win then?" and he came back with "Access to your account, Mrs R" and I howled laughing. He probably gets the same thing said all the time but it was new to me and hilarious.

Anyway, he'd turned me around from a spitting tiger, all very politely and humorously, and I was still giggling later on. I had to phone back and get through to his team leader to compliment the chap.

As someone else said, it took me a few minutes to explain I was ringing to say thank you.

:D

I rang Santander recently to say thank you for their help and the man I spoke to was really taken aback - he was obviously expecting yet another rebuke.

Hogzilla · 17/02/14 - 21:19

Only one thing I learned when I lived in the US - how to whinge about bad service. British people should do it more. You pay for something - why be embarrassed to complain if it's not right? I think it's cultural.

shelleyj89 · 17/02/14 - 21:21

I have absolutely no issue complaining to Southeastern about their poor service. They also have no issue with completely ignoring said complaints.

Relly · 17/02/14 - 21:26

Kim_Bolton wrote: »

:D

I rang Santander recently to say thank you for their help and the man I spoke to was really taken aback - he was obviously expecting yet another rebuke.

Haha! I once emailed British Gas via the Complaints section because I was happy about the brilliant service I'd been given when my gas top-up meter failed (no heating, dead of winter, and the repair guy arrived at my house within 30 mins) and a manager phoned me to say thank you, and to tell me they'd laminated my email, put it on the staff noticeboard and included it in their next newsletter, because they don't get many.

Lainiomonkio · 17/02/14 - 21:30

I don't have a problem with making a complaint - if I'm paying money for a service and it isn't up to scratch, I don't see why they shouldn't be told. I don't scream / insult / have a tantrum. I don't understand why some people are happy to accept and often pay for inferior products / services. I'm guessing it's a conflict thing but there's no need to do it in a horrible manner.

Just recently we took my Mum out for her birthday meal in quite a pricey restaurant. She and I both ordered tarte tatin but the clotted cream they had dolloped on top was quite clearly off and smelt terrible. She didn't want to say anything but it had oozed over everything and rendered both plates inedible. The staff were more than happy to change them for fresh plates and as a nice gesture we got them free as well.

I'm also more than happy to praise (and tip) good service. I like to phone or write in and name the person who has been good and hope they get a bonus / reward. I think it's absolutely fine to complain but there is most definitely a way to do it without embarrassing or insulting someone. People are so much more likely to be uber helpful / generous as well if you're not screaming at them like a deranged banshee!

KittyKream · 17/02/14 - 22:42

I can over the phone but in a resturant no way.
For some reason I just can't complain,I always say everything's fine.

Relly · 17/02/14 - 22:43

Thinking about it, it's much much easier nowadays to complain about a service than it used to be. Not too long ago, BT was the only phone service provider (except for in Hull - I think - which had its own monopoly), and any complaint was met with a "Not much you can do about it, is there?" attitude. The same went for gas and electric supplies. It used to be quite frustrating dealing with these monopolies back then, because there was nobody to switch to if things got too bad.

Hey there!

Quick Links

Do you find it easy to complain about bad service

Comments