Do you make a complaint or bite your tongue?

[Patricia]

So Ladies what kind of a shopper are you? If things you purchase are not up to scratch or downright faulty or you have been charged the wrong price, what do you do about it.......do you complain or do you just bite your tongue?

Much to my son Callum's annoyance I'm afraid I complain...("Nobody likes a whinger Mum!"). I feel that the product or service I have paid for should meet my requirements and if it doesnt I have a right to have it rectified. I should also point out that if on the other hand I experience outstanding service or buy a product that I think is fantastic, I am just as quick to ring/write the company involved and congratulate them.

What about you what do you do?

Patricia :)

[Leigh]

Just a warning, never go shopping with Floria! :Hehe:

Depends how bad it is, and what sort of mood I am in. I will admit I am a bit of a wuss and do not like confrontation if I can aviod it. Jake is the complainer, and I make him say something, while I stand else where and pretend not to know him :Hehe:

Same with hangling, does anyone do that? I know a lot of places expect you to, but I just can't :blush: . That's another job for Jake, again, me standing else where pretending not to know him LMAO

[Jewly]

I definately complain because I hate to be ripped off and I return everything that isn't up to scratch.

I start off being nice but if I'm mucked around too much I will up the anty and if I can't get any satisfaction I always ask for a supervisor or the manager. It's amazing how many times just asking for that person has gotten me the result I want.

I never raise my voice or swear or insult the person and often I say, I realise that this isn't your fault, but .....

[MissieK]

For me it really depends on what the problem was & what sort of a mood I am in :)

I am also making an effort to praise good service.

Melissa

[floria]

What now???? LOL

Yep, I'm one of those who will take things back if they are faulty or charged the wrong price.

I work in a customer service industry and I know how hard I have to work to earn my bucks so when I spend my money I like to have it in good order.

[Pam]

Rarely if ever complain.

If the item wasn't expensive I don't bother.

I'm terrible for putting faulty goods aside ready to take back... end up forgetting about them - then feel it's too late, or I've lost the receipt :roll:


OMG Leigh, imagine Bra and Jake shopping together! Bra is a 1st class Haggler. And it is amazing how much of a discount is given for simply asking! I slink off and pretend to be deaf :blush:

[Monty]

Heheh only generally complain if it cost me a lot and expected the product to be a lot better... I'm no haggler but OH is maybe it is more of a man thing? Altho I do remember one lady who just about haggle anything including groceries (She also talked a lot too) :tyeo:

[Michelle]

I'll usually complain!! :tyeo:

But normally only if its really worth it! I've sent an email to Huggies because i got 3 nappies in a box of 70 that were ripped! I only just sent off the email yesterday!

I can't stand people who complain about the littelist things but if you're loosing a bit of money over it i agree! I seem to be worse now i'm a mother and money's kinda tight!

[mel35]

It depends if I'm in a bad mood or not usually or if its a big mistake.

i let hubby complain or haggle by himself and conveniently disappear most of the time too. :blush:

[Julia]

Generally I'd rather avoid confrontation, but it depends. Yesterday I bought a tin of tomatoes, and even though I checked it I obviously didn't check it enough as when I got it home I found it was dented, so I chucked it out.

If I bought a dishwasher, car stereo, TV etc., and it wasn't up to scratch I'd complain.

My husband works in a bike shop. He gets customers who've bought a cheapy $300.00 bike, absolutely thrashed it for a couple of years & then come back & demand a refund when something small breaks like the seat. The cheap bikes aren't designed to be hammered, but they just don't get it. Sure, they shouldn't fall apart after 2 minutes...but a couple of years?

I generally vote with my feet. If I'm not happy with the service, goods I just don't go back there or buy that product again.

[PinkDot]

I would complain if it was something big. Although I had a faulty deoderant once and I emailed them and they sent me a voucher.
I think it really depends if I'm in a good mood or not. If I can email them I would be more likely to complain, rather than face to face confrontation :blush:

[Michelle]

Hey guess what girls....i posted in here a few days ago about emailing Huggies cuz i got a couple of faulty nappies...well....i just got an email back apologising and they're sending me out another box of nappies!! WooooooHoooooo!! Hehe YAY!!!
I'm gonna email for now on complaining about stuff cuz i seem to actually get somewhere with it and when i'm angry about something i'm seem to write alot and get it all out! :tyeo:
I'm not a confrontational person either...i'm a chicken and hide behind emails!! :blush:
LOL

YAY for me!!! :P

[Monty]

Congrats Michelle for being brave enough to do it!! IMO its your right as a customer to get the product at a standard that it was advertised for and if its not up to scratch then the company should do something about it ;)

[Lulu]

I have to admit I am the same as Julia, if it is bad customer service I usually won't go back to the store. If it is something inexpensive that is faulty I usually don't worry about it, but if it is something that I paid a lot for and it is broken or doesn't work then I take it back.

I know that with my own business, as much as it can feel personal sometimes, if a product we sell or one of our entertainers is not up to the clients expectations, I like to know so that we can fix the situation and ensure the client is happy.

Kate

[MissieK]

I once complained to KFC - they gave me a cold hot & spicy burger instead of a filet burger. It was drivethrough & I didn't notice until we got home. They sent me a voucher for a free meal :)

And we had a gift registry for our engagement at Target, when they first started the registry & our guests had all sorts of problems. They sent me a $50 voucher :)

If the company is good, they will try and make good the complaint.

Melissa

[michelle_72]

I think I would complain. I was after a toy for my daughter which was half price in the catalogue but when I went in to buy it the store was so unorganised that they hadnt even managed to unpack half of the boxes for Christmas. I complained to customer services by email (seems to be easier this way rather than face to face), they located the toy for me and got it sent to the nearest store and honoured the half price cost. So I think sometimes it is worth it.

[MariaZen]

Depending on the price of the product. If it is an expensive product like white goods and it is faulty, then will definitely complain. However, if the product is inexpensive, then I will not bother. I usually buy my clothes from one of those cheap shops ($10-20). Sometimes, I don't bother trying them on.If it fits,it fits.If it doesn't, then I go back and get a credit. However, sometimes,again I don't bother.

[drdolly]

my friend keiran started the 'international year of feedback', much to the amusment of his close friends. no one escaped, citilink, charnnel 9, the met... keiran kept us enthralled with his tales of feedback... and one by one we all joined him. when irked enough, i write letters of complaint with the standard question, of what will they be doing to remedy the situation etc...

most companies are keen not to loose customers.... so quick action normally occurs from a letter sent...

[Supa]

Yesterday I bought a tin of tomatoes, and even though I checked it I obviously didn't check it enough as when I got it home I found it was dented, so I chucked it out.
Can I ask why? Unless the can is dented on the seam there is nothing wrong with the product.

I complain at things that have cost me alot of money or dont work right from the start. It generally ends up being replaced & I always keep myself polite, listen to the other person & never blame the salesperson.

[Barbara]

I make a complaint. Why not? If I have paid for it and it either isn't up to scratch or doesn't do what it is supposed to or something is missing etc etc, I'll let them know. I don't do it to get freebies or anything like that, I just tell them because I usually get shirty about it & need to get that frustration out :Hehe:

What I don't like is when they start to question you - then sometimes I need to bit my tongue :P .

My biggest peeve would be takeaway - there is nothing worse than when you order a pizza or go through a drive through and something is missing or wrong. I ring them & tell them.

[Alexa]

I think people have a right to complain...

They are buying a product and no matter the cost they expect a certain standard to be maintained, otherwise how do they get repeat business...

Probably shouldn't tell you all this but I will...working at PH, they get heaps of complaints, like heaps, and people are very quick to complain and I am a bit of a softy so I always give credits etc, alot of the supervisors are tough and they don't really do much to help the customer, but I want the customers to come back, it also depends on whos fault it is, either the person who put the order in, or the the store...stores make heaps of errors...but so do our operators, we are only human after all and sometimes it can be hard to hear what base for instance they want there pizza on ie thin or thick...(sometimes the customers are thick )but that is another story...

One of biggest complaints is that the super supreme has black olives on it...I wish they would take them off as 95% don't want them...now unless the customer asks for it to be removed, black olives are on there, people ring and complain as I guess other companies don't have them on there pizzas, we are now teaching customer service people to always ask...but it can be a pain...

Also lots of cold pizzas....and cold garlic bread and warm drinks...esp if delivery time is 60 minutes...they other thing I have learned is how lazy people are and won't get off there bums to go and get a pizza (even if they only live 5 minutes away)...then they have a go that we charge $6.00 for delivery...also get shirty if they don;t have coupons and they can't have a pizza at a discount price...you really see an ugly side of people, I just count to 10 and remain calm and think I may never talk to this person again...always let them raint and rave and then offer them something....

IF YOUR NOT HAPPY WITH SERVICE SPEAK UP, SOMEONE WILL LISTEN...YOU HAVE RIGHTS AND YOU ARE SPENDING YOUR HARD EARNED $$$, YOU WANT VALUE FOR MONEY....

But also remember there is a right way and a wrong way to get good customer service...if you abuse a staff member they won't help you...speak to a supervisor, they are more likely trained to deal with complaints and concerns, juniors don't have the maturity to deal with these issues...also they don't get paid enough...

Companies also listen to phone calls, emails and written letters...in fact because you have had time to relax and make your case heard, they are more likely to reply to your complaint in a favourible way...I had this problem with Ella Bache, and well a phone call got nowhere but an email....well I was treated like royality...