3.06 What's the problem?

Customers complain for many reasons. Some complaints are justified, while others are not. Let’s examine the three major areas of customer complaints—product, personnel, and the business itself.

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Product. Product complaints usually result in product returns and may have to do with the product being:

  • Defective
  • The wrong size or color
  • Damaged or spoiled
  • Mispriced
  • Unable to meet the customer’s needs

Some product complaints are caused by faulty design or poor quality. Here are a few examples:

  • A customer complains that his gallon of milk was spoiled as soon as he got it home from the grocery store.
  • A customer complains that her new brakes are squeaking.
  • A customer complains that a set of batteries went dead after only a week of use.

Another source of product complaints is improper labeling. A product’s label might incorrectly state size, color, material, care instructions, etc. For instance, a customer might complain that a pre-shrunk T-shirt shrunk in the wash, even though she followed the care instructions exactly. Or, a customer might complain that a gallon of paint labeled “bright white” was actually more of a cream color.

When manufacturers have not properly produced, designed, or labeled their products, customer complaints are certainly justified. Businesses and employees must take prompt action to resolve these complaints appropriately.

Sometimes, product complaints occur when customers make improper buying decisions. Although there are many different potential reasons that the wrong decision was made—simple oversight, lack of information, incorrect intended use of the product, lack of assistance from the salesperson—the product itself is blamed for not meeting customer expectations.

Let’s say that an office manager purchased laptop computers for everyone on staff. After the staff began using them, it became clear that tablet computers would be more useful and portable. So, the office manager contacted the salesperson to complain that the laptops weren’t satisfactory. Although the office manager complained about the products themselves, the source of this complaint was probably the salesperson—s/he did not adequately determine the customer’s needs and recommend the appropriate solution. To help minimize product complaints, salespeople must help customers make wise buying decisions by providing sufficient product information.

Personnel. Employees can certainly contribute to customer dissatisfaction and complaints. Here are some common sources of complaints about personnel:

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  • Being rude. Employee rudeness can take many forms—ignoring customers’ presence or requests, making customers feel that you’re doing them a favor by assisting them, getting too personal with customers, talking with friends or coworkers while assisting customers, etc.
  • Using high-pressure selling techniques. Customers become irritated when they feel that they are being forced, pressured, or tricked into buying a good or service.
  • Providing insufficient product information. When salespeople don’t or can’t adequately explain the features and benefits of products, customers may get frustrated and complain.
  • Providing inaccurate information. Customers expect employees to be accurate when providing information, completing business forms and contracts, calculating amounts of purchases and bills, making change, etc.
  • Providing unsatisfactory service. Poor service quality often results in customer complaints. Customers won’t be satisfied when deliveries are late, installations are inadequate, alterations are poor, etc.

The business. When customers complain about the business itself, the criticisms are usually related to one or more of the following areas:

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  • Number and types of services offered. The services (or lack of!) that businesses offer to customers can be sources of complaints. For example, some businesses may refuse to accept credit cards for purchases under a certain dollar amount. Or, a small-business owner may become frustrated when her accountant can’t help her with retirement planning.
  • Adherence to policies. Customers frequently complain about company policies they don’t agree with. For instance, customers may dislike being asked for their phone numbers or email addresses upon checkout. Or, customers may complain about not being allowed to return purchases after the time designated in the return policy.
  • Difficulty reaching a person who can help. A customer who has a complaint is likely a bit “on edge” to begin with. When the customer has a hard time reaching a person at the business who can help resolve the issue, it can make the situation much worse. Businesses should make it a priority to be available to their customers whenever they need assistance.
  • Hidden costs. When customers are spending their money with you, they don’t want to be surprised by hidden costs and fees. If your business is not upfront about what it’s charging for goods or services, customers will be unhappy, and they will complain.
  • Unkept promises. One sure way for a business to receive customer complaints is by not doing what it says it will do. When a customer’s trust has been broken, it is difficult to gain back.

You can read more common customer complaints about products, personnel, and businesses by visiting and searching the Consumer Affairs website. Links to an external site.