Why Complain?

Complaining is a means for people to assert their rights and stand up for themselves, but instead of feeling empowered the average UK citizen sees complaining as both a futile and unsavoury act.

It Won’t Do Any Good

There are a great number of reasons why nearly half of the UK’s population will not make a complaint; some can’t be bothered with the hassle, others don’t know how to go about it, some don’t want to be seen as a moaning Victor Meldrew and many just don’t think it will do any good.

It is the irony of the British distaste for complaining is that they characteristically do love a good moan when things go wrong; they grumble to their friends about being charged too much for a slapdash floor fitting or how their over-priced train commute is regularly delayed due to leaves on the line. However they just don’t want to actually do anything about it.

Without Action and Nothing Will Change

A food and drink website survey revealed that 38% of people asked would never complain about a bad restaurant experience no matter how terrible it was. 20% of customers don’t complain about unsatisfactory products, according to a consumer report, a troubling lapse that equates to £8.3 billion worth of inferior products.

But if nobody complains about substandard products and services then nothing will change; the restaurant will continue serving up second-rate food and the manufacturers will keep its shoddy production line rolling.

Unsavoury Act of Complaining

The word ‘complain’ has unjustly acquired negative and unpleasant connotations that have obscured its true meaning and power. It has become confused with moaning and grumbling, as if complaining is an irritating and futile indulgence of bad-tempered people with nothing better to do, an association that the nation’s favourite complainer, TV’s Victor Meldrew, has done little to discourage.

Positive Action

In reality to complain is to assert one’s rights; to stand up for one’s self and not be ripped off or taken advantage of. It might involve demanding a product replacement, compensation or simply the satisfaction of telling someone that their service is just not good enough.

But it also has significance beyond the personal plight because to complain is to say the system is flawed and needs to be improved, and the implications of this can benefit other people and the service providers themselves. Therefore in actual fact the word ‘complain’ has less in common with whining self-pity and more with positive action words like ‘protest’ and ‘feedback’.

A prime example of this positive side is the growing trend of organisations to actively welcome complaints from its customers. A forward thinking company is always looking for ways to improve its service, and complaints provide an invaluable aid to see where they are going wrong and what they can do to change it. This positive attitude towards its more critical audience also helps to maintain customer loyalty.

This should be a wake up call for those 35% of UK consumers questioned in a recent customer questionnaire, who didn’t believe complaining about a poor service or product would make the slightest difference.