by Alex Kee

Created on: October 03, 2007   Last Updated: June 13, 2009

In today's competitive business environment, every business organization knows the value of a loyal customer and hates to lose even one customer because it costs up to 3 times or more to hook a new customer than to service an existing one.

With this in mind, strategies you complain if you have a legitimate issue.

First, get to the right person, because not everyone who picks up the phone may be the right person to do something effective to rectify the problem you are wanting to resolve.

As customers, your ultimate objective of complaining is not to waste your time raising the issue, but actions on the part of the business organization to right the wrong, and to expedite it without any further delay.

If you call, make sure you got the right person and get the person's name in full as well as his position in the organization. Note down other important details like the time of call and the details of your questions and complain and the answers given to you, repeat the answers if necessary so that the customer service personnel knows you are serious enough to note down the details.

Better still, if you have a recording machine, let the customer service personnel know that you are recording the conversation for records purposes.

Be very specific about your complains with every details.

More importantly, be very precise what remedy you want and by when you want them fixed.

If the customer service personnel cannot promise you the remedy and the time frame within which you expect the matter to be expedited, demand a reply within a specific deadline or request her to pass the line to a person who has the due authority to act.

Let the customer service personnel know that if they fail to get back to you on the date they have promised, you will get back to them and this time, higher up the rank.

If you prefer to write (which is actually by far more effective for major complaints), write to the highest executive authority, which usually is the CEO or COO of the company.

As in verbal complaint, be very specific on why are unhappy and precise on what remedy you expect and by when, and that if you fail to receive any reply, you will not hesitate to bring up the matter to a higher channel, not excluding the Press.

Of course all these presupposes you have a legitimate complaint and issue to make and the that you are entitled to the due recourse because you have a prima-facie locus-standi of claim.

If you do not have a case, it is frivolous and a waste of time to complain.

I believe all bona fide organizations value their reputation and goodwill dearly and would let nothing tarnish their image, especially if it is solely their fault in the first place.

Be polite always, but firm, very firm and precise in your claims and demands. Set deadlines and you will get your claims expedited in no time.

All the best in your adventure to assert what you are entirely entitled to, because to Err is Human and to Forgive, Divine, but in between the two intervals, Restitution is the right thing to do.

Learn more about this author, Alex Kee.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.