Filing a complaint is an action that crosses many customers’ or clients’ minds, but many do not follow through due to uncertainty or a lack of confidence. This need not be the case if you know what to do, what not to do, and what can be gained, when filing an official complaint against a business or employer.
Consider What Everyone Can Get Out of It
Firstly, it’s imperative when considering a complaint to consider what you or others can get out of it. The most obvious result you will be seeking is justice, particularly if you are complaining about somebody or something which involved breaking the law. However, there are other resolutions to complaints such as monetary compensation or an improved service in the future. When weighing up whether to make a complaint, judge whether the end result will be worth your time and effort.
Take Note of the Environment
Secondly, take note of what environment you are making a complaint in as this may change the procedure you require. If you are complaining about an employer, then you could consider consulting a lawyer, while if you are complaining about a different company’s product, head straight for the top. Your complaints procedure should be relative to the failing that you are complaining about. Choosing the wrong course of action could see you ignored or disregarded along the way.
Know What to Do
Once you have determined the type of complaint you are making, and that you are definitely going to make it, you need to know what to do. There are companies who can help you with this, such as Complain.biz, who will support you with your complaint using their expertise to direct it to the correct body or individual.
Going through a company like this also increases the professionality and legitimacy of your complaint. You should also do this through the manner in which you approach the process: be reasonable and remain polite and calm, even if you are angry. You should let the person or group that you are complaining to know how to contact you and make sure anything you have sent to them in writing is grammatically accurate and legible. If you are planning on complaining verbally, get your facts and evidence lined up so that you can make a sound case. As an example, if you are being rejected at work because you are pregnant, people may say that you are acting like that or feeling that way just because of hormonal changes. In this case, you have to record every incident that you think you can use and send it to your pregnancy discrimination attorney to help you on how to deal with it.
Know What Not to Do
Finally, know what not to do. Do not lose your temper, especially with those who cannot help you or have no power over the situation. This is most frequent in retail or hospitality, where it can feel convenient to make your complaint to whichever member of staff you find first. The likelihood is this employee has nothing to do with the situation and cannot handle your complaint effectively. Furthermore, if you want a response or desire compensation, never let it lie. Follow up by whatever means you have if you are still waiting on a response after a lengthy amount of time. Asking how long you can expect to wait for a response when you first file your complaint can also help with this.
Complaints can be a daunting process, so attempt to take the stress out of the situation. Remain cool, use complaints companies where you can, and always get your complaint planned out beforehand to make it effective and convincing.
