How to complain on the phone

How to complain on the phone

My husband is a master complainer. No matter whether it’s in person at a restaurant or on the phone to the utility company, Vlad never seems to come away empty handed- usually ending the call with a refund, discount, better rate or other benefits.

As someone who generally tends to avoid confrontation I am in awe of his complaining super powers and over the years I have picked up on his strategy, so here are some tip tops for complaining via the phone.

Find the right number

Ultimately you want to make sure you get off to a good start by making sure you have the correct phone number for the person you want to complain to. I like to use the Number Directory which supplies the number to call as well as information regarding opening times, call charges, etc which can be handy.

Be friendly

It might sound obvious but being nice to the person who picks up your call will ultimately pay off in the end. You want the conversation to be a positive one so make sure to note down their name and use it during the call, use a friendly tone of voice and even try to make a few small jokes to lighten the mood.

Make them aware that you don’t blame them personally for the shortcoming of the company they represent but be firm about your complaint and don’t let them fob you off.

Make them part of the story

Nothing helps get someone on your side like making them feel like they share in the problem. Ask the person on the call how they would feel about encountering your issue, or what they would do if they were in your situation.

Talk them through the problem in detail and try and make them part of the story by getting them to agree that what’s happened isn’t right and that you shouldn’t have had to go through it.

Keep your cool

Getting angry, rude or frustrated won’t help when you’re trying to make a complaint on the phone. Take a few deep breaths and remember that the person you’re talking to is just a customer relations representative and isn’t the reason for your problem!

If you’re really not getting anywhere with the person you are talking to politely request to speak to a manager or ask to speak to someone who can help you with your specific problem. It might even be worth ending the call, leaving it for an hour or so, and calling back which will let you calm down and you will probably end up talking to someone different.

Put them on the spot

Don’t be afraid to ask them blunt questions, my husband’s favourite is “So, what are you going to do about it?” and “What can you do to fix this?” Like I said at the start of this post he always comes away with something so put them on the spot and ask them directly what they are going to do about your problem. You might be surprised at what they are actually able to do to help – but you don’t find out if you don’t ask!

How to complain on the phone

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