Face it, when you are dissatisfied with a product or service the correct approach is not to get angry. If you go with the "THIS ______SUCKS!" attitude then chances are , the customer service rep will be on the defensive.

I worked in customer service over 10 years and the important thing to remember is, in most cases, the customer is always right. Even when the customer is clearly wrong, they are right.

Recently I went to a salad bar restaurant and my friend ordered a chicken salad sandwich. She took a bite and promptly made a face- there was celery in the chicken salad and she disliked celery. Most of us may know that celery is a key ingredient in chicken salad. She didn't inquire if there was celery in the sandwich prior to ordering it. Yet I paid over 6 dollars for a sandwich which she wasn't going to eat. I took the sandwich up to the counter and politely explained to the manager that my friend didn't like it. I also offered to pay for another sandwich. The manager promptly took the sandwich and replaced it with another one that my friend did like. GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE. I gave a tip and thanked him on the way out.

The things to remember, when complaining:

1) Be polite. Explain why you were dissatisfied, but do it calmly and politely.

2) Give good reasons "I didn't like the sandwhich because it contained celery" rather than "I didn't like it- it sucked".

3) Ask for what you want, if anything. I had a bad experience with an airline and wrote a letter explaining the situation. I closed by asking for a free ticket. The airline sent me 2 $100 vouchers.

4) Don't take advantage- don't order something only to keep returning it. THis becomes ineffective fast- especially if you are recognized for it. If you truly have a complaint, that's one thing but complaining over and over to the same company or store will only give you the reputation of complainer.

5) Be courteous. Thank the representative.

6) Don't lose your tempe, even if the result is not what you wanted. You can vow to yourself not to buy the product or return to where you had this bad experience but don't make a scene- it won't get you anywhere.

There is a difference between complaining vs bitching and whining. If you handle the situation calmly and rationally, you are almost certain to have your complaint handled quickly and professionally, and there is a much better chance that you will get a positive result.

Learn more about this author, Elyse Williams.
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