Have you ever bought something you thought was special, only to find it was less than spectacular when you got it out of the box? Or had a piece of machinery or technology just not deliver the performance you expected?
The outcome of this is called buyer's remorse and, in some cases, you really have to suck it up and put up with it as caveat emptor (let the buyer beware). But when there are clear cases in life where we experience failure to deliver by products and services, you have the right (and duty) to return the product or complain about substandard service. As a consumer, this right is backed by statute - the Consumer Guarantees Act and the Fair Trading Act.
I never used to complain or make a fuss until I learned the art of negotiating skills; from this point forward I have always alerted producers of products and providers of service to their shortcomings. And, the truth is, if you or your team are providing low standards of service - you won't know unless you are told.
At some point last year, I wrote about courier companies, who continue to astound me that they deliver "when it best suits their timetable" rather than in the fastest possible time. This week, I had important board papers that arrived almost five days late because a courier in Auckland failed to make a regular pick up last Friday afternoon.
Right now, I am sitting in a hotel room of a reasonably well-known chain and am sitting in a room that in no way matches the website photos. Today, we will check out and find an alternative, and I will probably send an email to their head office suggesting they either invest in renovating or change the motto of the hotel to "where the 1960s and flat screen TVs collide".
Your business may have issues with suppliers from time to time and, in this case, it is even more important not to accept substandard service because their failures will transfer to the experience and value received by your customers. If you have service level agreements and/or documented quality standards, you should enforce these and make sure that you do everything you can to avoid a repeat.
It is said that we Kiwis don't complain enough. If you don't like to complain, it might be time to change your approach because you deserve the best when it comes to parting with money you've worked hard for.
Zenith Solutions is a Wanganui-based management consulting practice. It specialises in strategic planning, business process improvement and financial management services. Contact russell@zenith-solutions.co.nz, or ph 021-244-2421.