A tale of two complaints
Companies’ reputations are increasingly reliant on their customers’ perceptions. In these days of social sharing and super-fast communications, how companies treat their end-user customers is a high-stakes game of communications snakes and ladders.
Recently, I’ve had cause to complain about poor service. They were two different complaints, against two different companies within a two week period. Most telling, however, were the companies’ two very different ways of handling said complaints.
Complaint number 1 (not chronologically) was to a well-known bookseller. I’d ordered a book, and received great communications initially, until it got to the point that I could collect my book – then all communication went out the window.
Inspired by an Australia-based former client, I decided to take my complaint directly to the CEO via an email. I was not really expecting too much, but the fact I had even ‘done’ a complaint made me feel marginally better. I was immensely impressed and pleased to receive a personal reply within the same day of having sent my complaint; an update on why the problem had occurred and what the company was already put in place to mitigate the problem in future, and finally an apology. This was a far better outcome than I had expected. I felt positive about this company.
Complaint number 2 (which actually came first) was to a well-known mobile phone company and was to do with wild overcharging on my son’s phone account; incorrect advice given to me on the phone and even further bill ‘surprises’ (read shocks) subsequently.
I attempted to rectify the issue via twitter Direct Messages with a customer services operator but had reached a dead-end there. So, next step, I obediently looked up the complaints procedure online and duly wrote my letter to customer services and sent it off. Three weeks later, I still had heard nothing.
Inspired by my subsequent success with the bookseller I decided to look up the CEO’s name and email him/her personally. That should get things moving!
Sadly, I fell at the first hurdle. The CEO’s email address is impossible to locate (well, impossible within the framework of my patience threshold and online research skills). I’m sure someone at GCHQ would be able to locate it. I now feel even worse about this company that I already felt bad about.
I have told lots of people about my experiences. It seems my perception of those companies’ reality is not contained to just me. While searching for the mobile phone company’s contact details I came across many other disgruntled customers. One of the main sources of disgruntlement is how the complaints are actually handled (or not). That company’s customer service has well and truly landed on a ‘reputation game’ snake, and begun its slithery path down.
What will your company’s next move be?