Complaining

Having a disabled daughter I am well use to doing battles and say with pride I have always won. As for complaints well I do when needed. The latest was with Waitrose, a simple but mean problem. They give you two very small portions or wrapped butter with a teacake. I want three at lest and they wanted to charge me 10p a portion. I just saw red and refused outright, cancelled my order and told them I was going to Sainsbury. A silly thing and a 1st world problem but not to me. Must say it has all now been resolved and should any of you encounter the same problem stand firm and use to pay.

I make a lot of trips to the US to see my daughter and the service there is excellent. I have come to realise that they are very good at not accepting what is not right. They are so proficient at it and always do it politely, with a smile and hey presto - they get results. (in my observational experience that is!)

Yes, I always give praise where it's due.
Only a few weeks ago I rendered the man on the HMRC helpline speechless due to my pointing out how helpful and polite he was.

Currently though, I am mid dispute with royal mail about a gone adrift parcel.

Ladies

I’m delighted to hear you all give praise where it’s due, trust me, it’s wonderful to have good feedback, everyone likes to feel appreciated

I'm afraid I usually just shrug things off and never really complain. However, I have pointed out things that didn't seem right, occasionally, and often when I was so glaringly obviously in the right, I have been compensated.

There is a custom here in Germany on St Martin's day. They have a parade and re-enact the story of St Martin sharing his cape and then little cakes (something like gingerbread men, but without the ginger) are distributed to all the children present. When mine were small, they had to go up to a stall and were handed their "Weckmännl" as they are called, but there were bigger children barging in and collecting huge numbers and hiding them in their jackets and up their jumpers.

The following year I wrote to the local newspaper, saying how I wasn't looking forward to the event, in the name of my children and describing what happens.

That year, after the parade, local dignitaries went around with trays, handing out the cakes, making sure that each child got their fair share.

Result!

I also wrote to a large chemist shop, pointing out that selling nappies and baby food on the first floor, with no lift, made life very difficult for young mothers with small children and prams.

Not long after, the nappies and baby food had been moved downstairs!

I had a phone call one day when home alone. It was from a man with a Scots accent who asked for me by name and tried to tell me that my windows could be coated with a substance, that would mean I would never ever have to clean them ever again. When I laughed hysterically, he slammed the phone down on me.
He had introduced himself as Brian and he was a Scot that was all I knew.. I was so incensed by his behaviour ( and I hate cold callers) that I googled and found a company who offered something similar. They said it was no one that they employed, but they knew a call centre that had been offering erroneous guarantees. They gave me the number.
I rang and asked for Brian, a Scot and said I was on the cusp of buying their product, but we had been cut off.

On the phone comes Brian and I said “ this is the woman you just put the phone down on “ boy was he surprised and extremely apologetic. I said you didn’t know who you were talking to, did you. ?
It was sooo satisfying as I spoke to his manager later who said he would sack him....I said “ no” let’s hope he had learnt his lesson.
I always complain if the service is bad and have had great success....but in the case that I related, It was just luck.

I ‘give feedback’ rather than complain. Hopefully balanced and definitely don’t ‘shoot the messenger’ if it’s an item or service that’s faulty. Courtesy costs nothing and I’ve found most folk very obliging and helpful if approached politely. If, though, someone is rude or dismissive then that in itself is an issue I am prepared to be rather more forthright about as it is unnecessary and unhelpful in solving a problem which needs resolution.

Yes, as you might imagine, I do complain. I am invariably polite and never lose my temper, but my voice can get steely and I am persistent. so I usually succeed in the end because the company just want to get shot of me.

I am currently fighting the gas distribution company for the cost of repairs to my CH boiler from when water got in the mains last year. They are arguing that evidence that water got into the boiler is not evidence it affected the fan

I complained to Yorkshire Tea that my entire box of tea bags were “unstuck” and the tea was loose . They asked for photos and serial numbers etc. I was given a long explanation about new glueing methods and for my trouble I was sent an exact like for like replacement . Not exactly generous.

Yes, I complain if it’s warranted. Went for a birthday meal at Harvester and the food was awful. I told the server I was disappointed, as it had ruined my birthday. He was very apologetic and when I went to pay he said ‘Compliments of the company - and come for a free meal next time too.’ Wasn’t expecting that but it was welcomed and second time round the food was much better.

I also compliment. Young lad serving in a very busy Tesco Extra, was very friendly and chatty. Saw my work badge and said he’d just left the college I worked at. Before I knew it the shopping was packed and it was time to pay. Didn’t even realise he’d been bagging my items - I was too busy enjoying the chat!

Walked away and asked at Customer Service to speak to the Manager... he eventually stormed over, red faced and angry demanding to know what the problem was!

‘No problem’ I told him, ‘in fact a compliment for the young lad on checkout 17. If all of your staff were as friendly and as nice as him, the checkout experience was be so much more enjoyable.

He was shocked, said ‘But he’s only just started - it’s his first day!’ Told him that he’s exactly the kind of server I’d look to go to...

A few weeks later I was served by the lad again. He was so proud as he’d earned himself an Employee of the Month Award.

Plus I ALWAYS ask for the Manager. Let the good news filter down through the ranks. If you just tell customer services it doesn’t always get passed up to Managers (learnt that through experience!)

No, I’m not a huge complainer, but DH is a bit of a Victor Meldrew at times.

Certain things I will complain about. We have a canal at the back of our house and the litter in the water and on the banks is appalling. It's such a lovely thing to walk along the towpath in the summer but it's blighted by the mess. Some older folks such as us make an attempt to tidy it but it's too much and obviously we can't get into the water! I complained to The Canals and Rivers Trust but they said 'What can we do?'.

I’ve just complained to our local MP regarding free TV licence for pensioners.
It does me good to get things off my chest it might not do any good. But I like to have a go.
If I feel its just I’m always on at my MP

No, often plan it in my head but I don’t really get angry very easily and if I do it soon passes - life is too short to sweat the small stuff.

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Not really, life’s too short I will if there’s really something to complain about, I m not a push over, but I think I m fairly accepting of most things unless they are really bad

I do leap to complain if necessary but I am also quick to praise - in a local department store recently every member of staff I encountered was helpful, friendly, and knew their stuff. I asked to speak to the manager when I was about to stagger out with all my purchases; she looked most apprehensive but when I said how good her staff were and how impressed I was she was genuinely pleased - she said that all she ever hears are the odd customer who moans.

Depends what it is - I wouldn't say I'm a serial complainer but if I feel I've been unfairly treated, ripped off, wrongly charged etc I will have a good moan - usually by letter as these days phone calls normally result in frustrating automated responses or rude & unhelpful customer services!

A few years back the council didn't empty my rubbish even though I had notified them I was unable to lift the bin over the fence and get it to the roadside. I checked my Council Tax bill, found out the amount charged for rubbish collection and deducted that amount when sending my Council Tax monthly cheque, along with a polite letter of explanation. The following week I observed the binmen doing their job and did so every week from then on so it was worth it!

I have had the odd refund from shops/supermarkets when products have been substandard or unacceptable. I think my best results from complaining were:

1: Once had a bag a 'mixed' nuts with no walnuts in - wrote to the company and a massive box of all their products arrived with a nice letter apologising and asking me to please continue to enjoy their products and they would look at packing to ensure the mistake never happened again. I loved all the raw nuts and some salted ones, my sister, mum and a few friends pounced on all the chocolate-covered ones (that I can't eat). There were other things too but damned if I can remember what now - possibly other chocolates and sweets.

2: Got one of those paintbrushes that promises bristles won't fall out - and they did...I wrote to them and they sent loads of nice brushes and other decorating things with an apology letter - so nice when companies own up and go out of their way to apologise and rectify/appease.

I do now, not when much younger. Recently, the car park behind some local shops was getting dangerous. Huge pot holes and no signs of being repaired. I emailed the council, and was told that the land was the responsibility of the shops. So I spoke to one of the shop keepers and she said it was mostly S........s. So I emailed the CEO. I had a reply from his secretary? and she put things in motion. Result, the car park is now safe again.

NO! Too much to do...and places to go. Shrug it off.

I didn't used to be, just put up and shut up, but I complain now to shops , businesses, local government and even complained about one of the night staff after a stay in hospital - well they did give me a feed back form!
I have had various vouchers/ giftcards from some shops in recompense.

Some things make me see red, like the worsening potholes in our roads damaging cars. Since the turn the streetlights off at night, a real risk for anyone walking after dark too. So I post on FixMyStreet.com. Problem sorted within days, followed by snotty letter from the council saying I should report to them, not the website. I know which gets the quicker response....

But then a favourite dress came back ripped from the laundry in Zanzibar. I was upset, but if I had complained, someone's wages would have been docked, and they earn next to nothing anyway. So good bye dress!

It’s so hard to complain these days, you can never speak to the same person twice, if you refuse to pay s bill, till they sort something out, they just cut you off

But I also see the other side, we run a small business, and sometimes mistakes are made, some of our making, more often to do with courier companies, but as soon as we’re aware of the problem, we correct it.
However, often we don’t know about anything being wrong until they leave us a scathing review! If only they talked to us! and the vile and offensive language people use in email is horrendous.

Works both ways

I'm not a chronic complainer, I think I'm a fairly easy going old duck really but there are a few things which get me on me 'orse and charging.

I'm far more likely to try and solve the problem rather than just complain about it.

I don't complain, I have battles !
After years of sitting back and just letting things happen that have gone over my head I finally learned to fight back. It's the sheer incompetency that gets my back up and I'm left wondering half the time how some managed to get the job they have.
I'm afraid I'm " old-school " when it comes to complaining with the old headmistress/matron hat on.

I went months not able to receive phone-calls though could ring out and according to the company it was a fault inside the property------No it wasn't ! After a couple more months, the fault was found in one of those green boxes in the road.

No apology and I still had to keep paying the bill.
United utilities were wrong with the billing.
Electric company also wrong with their bills even after the meter was read.

Nobody would ever believe the incompetence etc that I've endured over the years so it's little wonder that I'm always ready for a battle as you just get fed up with it. It's a miracle I haven't gone insane altogether.

At the moment I'm battling with a credit card account I had with Nat West some years ago which they swear it had no insurance attached to it when I know it did as it was added to the payments I made. This has been going on since 2011 ! I haven't got the original paperwork from 1982, but they must have records in the archive.

All I can say is that it's a good job I'm on the ball or I'd be fleeced left, right and centre.