Complaining is something us Brits do well to each other – about the weather, the potholes, the state of fashion these days, pretty much any topic we can complain about. But when it comes to actively complaining to companies to get our money back , we’re not doing enough. Businesses often get away with bad behaviour because they know most people won’t complain – or if they do, they won’t escalate their complaint if they aren’t happy with the initial response.
But making a complaint when you’ve received poor service or products is important to hold businesses accountable AND to prevent losing your money. Speak to the supplier first A lot of the time, complaints can be smoothed over with a simple conversation. It can sometimes help to jot down the facts – not emotions – about why you’re unhappy before you strike up a conversation in person.
Or, if you’re writing a letter, make sure you report just the facts. Getting emotional and using angry or coarse language won’t get you very far – politeness will be far more successful. Talk or write to the supplier to explain what you expected from their service or product, and why it falls short.
Tell them what you would like them to do to remedy the situation: do you want a refund, an apology, a replacement item or something else? And provide a deadline for their response; two weeks is usually reasonable to suggest. If they don’t reply, or you aren’t satisfied with the response, it’s time to take more actio.
