Complaints and Questions Can Help Your Business Grow

How many mottos for service companies have you heard that claim"We Listen to Customers"? Ignoring customers is like ignoring thebrown speckled leaves on your tomato plants. They both feed you.But every business gets customers who complain about a product,service, new look, price hike, or change in policy. Are they justwhiners, or have they put some thought into their opinions?Consider Complaints CarefullyI'm that kind of customer that likes to make suggestions forimprovements when I shop. I do it kindly, I believe evenintelligently. With a marketing background I can't stop myself.Be tolerant with this sort of consultant/complainer. My dad isone, too.Take, for example, the egg department at Megagrocery Store. Youcould call it scrambled, week after week. The little plasticprices are half broken off the shelves, never repaired. The signoverhead is crammed with more little plastic numbers andundecipherable abbreviations. The whole situation makes me doubtwhether they ever change the prices, even though their groceryflyer claims week to week sale prices. At Smallergrocery Store amile away, they switch out paper signs above the egg racks everyweek. The simple signs are nicely handwritten on thick coloredpaper. Disposable. Inexpensive. No-brainer.THIS WEEK! LARGE DOZEN, 99 CENTS. I grab one and head off.I had to point out the unnecessary egg chaos to management inMegagrocery. The problem? It's much too difficult for the busyshopper to decipher egg prices. The solution? Easy! Apparently hedidn't like my telling him how nicely his competitor does it,because he didn't change a thing. (Or ask his vendor to.) Butsometimes I get results.Watch out for the mere grumblers. Those with chroniccomplainitis.Every time my family went to dinner with my husband'sgrandparents, they whined about having to choose between soup ORa salad with the entrée. "You mean you don't get BOTH? Really?"The grumbling went on for whole minutes, their complaining moreacidic than the lemon in their ice tea. Diners all around usordered with ease and enjoyed their dinners. It had been a longtime since restaurants had offered both, especially at yourChicken Fried Steak for $5.99 kind of a place - and they knew it.But Gramma and Grampa were STILL unhappy about it, and always letwaitresses know.So when you get complaints does it mean you made a mistake orthat it's time to change a product or policy? Not necessarily.Is the complaint coming from an isolated individual or a verysmall group of customers? You can't please everyone. You may bepleasing a large group of customers (who you don't hear from)while the same policy brings complaints from a few.Watch for the Same Question Over and OverOne of the best gifts your customers can give you just happens tobe among the most annoying. From time to time you will noticecustomer after customer asks the same question.This happened to my employer when just about everyone whoinquired about his press release service wanted to know if theycould approve the release before it was sent to thousands ofmedia. Soon after that a new web page paragraph in bold redletters proclaimed, "We send your release to you for yourapproval BEFORE it goes to media." Sales jumped.Recurring questions in your business can lead you to correct anoversight. That can give sales an immediate boost.Ads often declare, "You asked for it. Now we offer Product X!"Business is, after all, about pleasing customers. Currently I'm"consulting" my grocer on the benefits of reduced-fat salami.Half the fat but excellent taste. Can't they find a vendorplease, and soon?