16 The Financial Times Guide to Business Development
I’m not suggesting that complaints should not be investigated. Indeed there
is a massively important quality control element to discovering what is
behind customer complaints and problems. However, the operator should
have dealt with the quality control element of its investigations separately
from the business development objective of maintaining goodwill with its
customers. Unhappy guests returning from holiday didn’t need to be kept
waiting months to be told that their complaint was truthful and reason-
able. A presumption of honesty should have been made immediately, along
with whatever apology or redress was appropriate.
The moral of this story is simple. Most customers are honest and you
should do business with them on the basis of this assumption. Yes, you
will get ripped off occasionally, but don’t regard customers as guilty until
proved innocent. It will cost you money, time and ultimately long-term
damage to your goodwill.
Why is complaints handling a business development issue? Simple . . . if
you don’t handle complaints appropriately then not only do you run the
risk of not getting repeat purchases, but people will stop recommending
you and will tell lots of other people, not only about the initial complaint
but about how badly they were dealt with. There is more on this issue in
Chapter 6, golden rule 2. There you will read about how managing com-
plaints effectively can actually boost your business.
16. Make your customer or client environment
appropriate
I had a meeting recently in the lobby and reception area of a four-star hotel, part
of an international chain. The décor and ambience were perfect for this business
meeting but for one problem . . . my guest and I couldn’t hear each other because
of the music. It was 11 am and we were having coffee, but the music being played
through the sound system would not have been out of place in a Benidorm nightclub.
I went to reception and politely asked if the music could be turned down. I was told, ‘It
is management policy for music to be played at this volume. It is there for the benet
of all our customers.’
Now I know I should have just left it at that, but as there were only ve other cus-
tomers in the same area at that time, all trying to have meetings, I actually asked
them whether they would like the music to stay as it was. Guess what? All the guests
wanted the music either changed, turned down or better still turned off.
I conveyed this important bit of market research to the receptionist, but it made no
difference. We all still had to shout at each other for the duration of our meetings.
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