Don't Go Away Quietly If You're Unsatisfied with a Company's Products or Services

From having many years of customer service jobs; I can tell you that being angry and upset at a company and walking away without letting the company know of your dissatisfaction is a lose-lose situation.

We've all had them, at one point or another in our lives. It's just a fact; you're going to have a bad experience with a product or service. Most people get angry or upset and never use that product or service again. If you're one of these people, I'm going to try and convince you to take a different course of action.

A course of action in which you come out much further ahead, than if you just went away quietly. Companies spend millions of dollars a year to attract new customers. However, the biggest asset a company has is its repeat customers. Because a company spends five times the amount of money to attract you to become a customer than it does to retain you as a customer.

So, what does this mean to you, as an upset customer? It means that it is cheaper for the company, who upset you, to appease you then to attract someone to replace you as a new customer. Companies don't like it when their customers just quietly go away. If a company doesn't know that it did something wrong, it can't correct the situation.

If you don't complain because you don't like confrontation, you can put that fear to rest. A good company will never put you on the defensive about something they made a mistake on. If you let them know what happened they will try to rectify the situation.

When you are wronged, and instead of ignoring it, take action. Go to the company or call them. It's always best to remain calm. Remember, the person you are speaking to is another person. They are just trying to make a living.

Also, before you contact the company, whether you go there physically or call them on the phone, be sure to understand what it is that you want them to do, to fix the situation. Do you want a refund, or a replacement, sometimes even just an apology would do. Whatever it is, make sure you have it in mind before speaking with the company.

Explain the situation and give as many details as possible. Then let them know exactly how you would like this problem corrected. More often than not, you'll get an apology and what you want, of course, within reason, to rectify the problem.

What if you don't get satisfaction? I've only ever encountered this problem one time. The person at the customer service desk was being uncooperative. So I asked for the manager. The manager also, for whatever reason, was not working with me. I guess he figured I wasn't "in the know." He probably figured I'd just get disgusted and leave. Little did he know, because of my years of customer service experience, I was an insider. After he was finished telling me he couldn't do anymore for me.

I just looked at him and asked him to please write down the name and number of the District Manager. I really wish I had a camera to take a picture of the face he made at that very moment. All of a sudden, his tone changed. Next thing you know, the man who just a few minutes ago, was completely uncooperative with me was going to give me what I asked for.

That's the point, if someone says they can't do anything more for you, ask to talk to their supervisor or manager. If that doesn't lead to satisfaction ask for their manager or supervisor. In my case, if he hadn't given me what I wanted, I would have talked to his district manager. If that was a bust, I would have asked to speak with the regional manager. If that didn't work, I would have got the contact information for the VP of Customer Relations. If that failed, I would have got the contact information for the president or CEO of the company and sent a certified letter.

You better believe if it gets to that point someone's head is probably going to whittle! You probably will never have to get that far up the chain of command. Instead of just quietly going away angry, let the company know that you are not happy. Not only have I found that I get what I want to rectify the problem, I also usually ask for, and receive further compensation.

For example, I often point out what a great inconvenience the whole ordeal has been in terms of my time and gas, if I drove there. I always ask for a $25 gift card to compensate me for my troubles. I never have been refused yet. It is a win-win situation. They don't have a customer that quietly goes away, and I'm satisfied because I got the problem resolved.

So, next time you have a problem with a company's product or service, don't be afraid to bring it to their attention. Always request extra compensation for your time and inconvenience, the worst they can do is say no. However, at least point out to the person who's dealing with your situation that it would be much more expensive for the company to attract a new customer to replace you; than if they would just make you happy and retain you as a repeat customer.