Don’t put up with bad customer service

14/11/16 You should never ever have to put up with a company who gives you bad customer service.

In the UK, we accept poor service. We overlook being treated badly. We dismiss a woeful experience on the phone, face to face or online as just being inevitable.

Take the first step in resolving your complaint, raise your issue free via Resolver.

And that’s sad because it doesn’t have to be that way. For example, if you have a problem at work you talk to your boss about it. If you have an issue at home you address it. So why fear taking action about a purchase you’ve made, a meal you’ve had or a holiday you went on.

We hear this from users of resolver.co.uk all the time. They often tell us they are reluctant to do anything, believing it will be a waste of their energy and what spare moments they have, fearing it will only lead to a rejection.

When you do take effective action, though it can fix problems, get you back the money you are owed and most crucially, raise the bar so others don’t suffer in the same way in the future.

A tool like www.resolver.co.uk is completely free and independent and you can raise a case within minutes to one of 30,000 brands, organisations and companies in our system.

People regularly ask us what the secret to being successful at gaining a resolution from a case is. And we tell them that it all starts with one single word… C.O.M.P.L.A.I.N. So what does that mean? Well…

C is for Collect. Pull together all the information you need – and that means all communications, pictures, documents and receipts/bills. Having everything in one place allows you to see this issue clearly.

O is for Order. You need to present your case in a logical way. There’s no point rambling and not getting to the point. Outline the issue you have and decide what you want the solution to be.

M is for Manage. You’ll have different expectations to the company you’re complaining to. You might want a refund, someone to say sorry, a replacement product or to change the way they do things. But it’s important you stay realistic and manage your own expectations to get the best result.

P is for Polite. It costs nothing and you should always remain polite. Even if you are angry and want to hit out, shouting down the phone or being abusive in an email isn’t going to help.

L is for Legislation. The law is there to protect you. Look it up. Understand it. On the Resolver website, we offer details of the relevant consumer legislation around various issues as you make your complaint.

A is for Answer. Don’t always expect to get the answers you want. But always go as far as you can towards what you feel is right. Don’t give up but trust family and friends if they tell you there really is no case to be made or that a resolution offered is worth accepting.

I is for Independent. You will find there is an Ombudsman or regulator for all different sectors. They will offer you an independent investigation of your case for free, but you will need to wait eight weeks from the first time you raise your issue. The one way around this is to ask for a ‘deadlock letter’ which shows the company you are dealing with accepts there is an impasse.

N is for New. There is always the option to change your supplier or provider. So don’t overlook that. You must be prepared to move on. It’s your money you are paying after all. You don’t owe any company any loyalty if they are not loyal to you. But even if you don’t want to make that move, don’t tell them. Just threaten to take your custom elsewhere. No business wants to lose customers.

Take the first step in resolving your complaint, raise your issue free via Resolver.