Can complaints be good for business?

No one likes it when someone complains about their service or returns a product because they are dissatisfied - especially when it is our very own business that we have built up from scratch. 

But complaints can be good for business.  And actually they can be the best thing for your business if dealt with in the right way.

Virgin airlines made headlines this morning in the British media.  No TV advertising, no front page splash in The Times, but they were being talked about on BBC news this morning.

Why?  Because of someone's complaint about the airline food.

Richard Branson responded personally to this one complaint and invited the person to be part of the next food tasting session to help Virgin airlines improve their catering.  The complaint was pretty scathing.  It included pictures of the food and didn't hold back on telling them what they thought.

But rather than ignore it or send a bulk autoreply including the standard discount coupon on the person's next travel, it was decided to let Richard Branson answer the complaint personally. 

What a great bit of free publicity!

so, how do you deal with any complaints you have? How can you turn them in to a business opportunity?

Comments

[LouiseBJ]

Although the complaint letter was lengthy, there was an element of tongue-in-cheek humour in the tone, and the complainant still liked the Virgin brand at the end of it!

As a lesson for all businesses, it's how you deal with a complaint that matters - as you rightly say Karen. In fact, a complaint should always be regarded as an opportunity - it's when you don't hear from disatisfied customers that you need to start worrying.

[Alice Elliott]

The idea that the chief of the company was willing to handle the complaint himself, rather than delegate it to one of his flunkeys through a standardised automated letter, will make all the difference to the complainer. But to also use it on the media as a bit of free PR shows intuition that not only advertises his company but also promotes the ethos, personal touch and willing to listen to customers that could be a step up before any of his competitors can.