It may seem as if your concerns with a company go unheard, but you are the pebble in their shoe and eventually they will hear you. If you have ever written to a company to compliment or complain about their product, you know what I mean. I think that we all at one point or another have had cause to complain while shopping, dining, or utilizing a service provided by a business.
It is always in the best interest of the company or business to listen to the consumer’s concerns. Even if the consumer is wrong, taking the first step in listening gives the appearance that the company has a genuine interest in what the consumer thinks.
I have several personal experiences with companies over the past several years that have reinforced the old southern concept that you “catch more flies with honey than vinegar.”
- I use a lot of Barilla pasta products. I gave my time to do a 30 minute survey after I received a request. They rewarded those who participated in the survey with 1 year’s worth of free pasta and sauce coupons. I thought it was a scam at first, but sure enough the coupons worked and it was a huge blessing to our family.
- I emailed Wal-Greens‘ corporate HQ to complain about a cashier and the manager from that particular store called me to talk to me about my experience. There was no compensation for the treatment I received as a customer, but the manager understood my concerns.
- S.C. Johnson. I emailed them to compliment them on their Skintimate Shave Gel and they emailed me a free coupon for a can of this product. I told them the features I liked about the product. Again, I took my time to give them feedback. Too many times, only negative comments go through to these companies.
- Pampers. I complained that the tabs were missing on the diapers and I received a coupon for a free package of Pampers.
- ALDI Food Market. We buy a lot of canned Chiles and Tomatoes from ALDI. One batch of our cans was actually just tomatoes. They gave us free replacements plus our money back. The ALDI guarantee is their “double guarantee.”
- Starbucks. My husband goes by there every payday for a plain espresso. This is the simplest drink on the menu besides black coffee. One morning he experienced a very slow and lackadaisical staff and ended up waiting for 10 minutes for this straight-forward drink. He emailed Starbucks on their website and they sent him two free drink coupons. He is so nice. He gave them to me.
My point here is that the next time you have a negative experience with a company, you should email them politely. Don’t threaten them with hateful words and don’t include personal attacks on their employees or corporate integrity. You should simply explain what you like about their product, what you don’t like about it, what your experiences have been, and what your concerns are. This works. Companies value the customer. You will be surprised at the results.