There are times that the service just isn’t what you expected or what you were promised. Complaining is a delicate matter. You want to make your grievance known, but do it politely and constructively. Here is our complete guide to making a complaint effectively.
Deal with problems in person and at the time
If there’s an issue with your food or a hotel room, don’t leave it until after you leave to rectify it. Deal with it at the time and in person. This will give the company a chance to upgrade you or make you happy while you stay there, instead of doing damage control at a later date.
There will be times that there’s nothing that can be done. However, you may find that the company will take some money off your bill for the inconvenience. If that still doesn’t work, you can move on with the rest of this guide.
Make a note of details
Don’t just say “food undercooked” or “customer service poor.” Neither of these will help management or the owners deal with a problem effectively. Make a note of dates and times that you stayed, when you noticed the problem, any action you took, and why the service was poor.
Make a note of names of staff members you spoke to. Not all members of staff will own up if they fear they will be disciplined, so your complaint may not be dealt with as quickly as it should be.
Avoid confrontation but also being too nice
British people tend to be understanding and nice in their complaints, but this can be just as problematic as being over-the-top and confrontational! It is important to find a balance.
Make the problem clear and suggest a resolution for your problem. This could be money off your food bill for the meal that caused the issue or a discount for the hotel room since not everything worked or was as advertised. Businesses are more likely to work with someone who is reasonable and not a pushover, because they want you to return.
Don’t act rude or condescending to the person dealing with your complaint. They are less likely to help rectify the problem if they are insulted!
Take the complaint further
If the hotel or restaurant can’t deal with your complaint at the time, write a letter to the manager, head office, or CEO of the business. This will usually get the right attention and you might get a letter grovelling for forgiveness, especially if you include specifics.
Failing that, there are some ombudsmen that you can take it to. This is especially the case with flights and hotels. Check out who the companies are accredited to or if there are regulatory bodies controlling their actions. Write a letter to them directly to discuss the situation.
If you paid with a UK credit card and it cost more than £100, then you can also take the complaint to the credit card company. They are liable for your satisfaction, too.
Avoid taking your complaint to social media, unless everything is falling on deaf ears and you have followed all the above tips. This doesn’t make you look any better than the company.
When complaining, make sure you have a genuine complaint. When you do, follow the above guide to make sure the resolution is satisfactory and in a timely manner. Not only are you more likely to return, but the business can make sure it doesn’t happen again.