Home Q&A: How to complain productively and the get results you're after

Complaining is still seen as the province of loud-mouthed Karens and career whingers, writes Kya deLongchamps, who advises on how to share your dissatisfaction in a way that yields results

Before eviscerating a small company online with a rough review, find the right person and give them a chance to give you recompense. File picture

In Ireland, we don’t complain enough. We swallow bad service, rudeness and under-par products as if it is our unchangeable destiny to lose out on a deal from time to time. We bite back the criticism, we mutter under our breath, we moan loudly to each other, but we rarely fire back a sharp, effective complaint in the right direction. Complaining is still seen as the province of loud-mouthed Karens and career whingers.

Don’t just take it

If you are not satisfied with any goods or services and you have the right on your side, don’t just fume and take it. A lot of the time, for simple misunderstandings or a dodgy buy, all we really want is a quick swap out, some reimbursement in word or deed — some little win to make our tail wag.

Trust me. Keep your cool, and the seller can take it. Before starting the right fight, is your complaint valid at all? Check out your rights with the Consumer Association of Ireland if you are unsure of your position, as they can give you general information on purchasing rights in Ireland. It might be a vacuum with a cracked tool, or a service package for your broadband.

State the facts

What’s bothering you, and what would you expect the company or individual to do to placate you? Have a real goal in mind. Have the facts of the case at your fingertips and approach the problem expecting the best. In most cases, customer service staff and retailers will want to come towards you (even when you might be dead wrong), reaching an amicable resolution. Oily letters of apology usually work with me.

Sooner rather than later

Deal with the issue as soon as possible, and with smaller goods — obviously, bring them with you. In store, find out just who you should be complaining to, whether that is the customer service department of a major firm or the supervising floor manager of a small retail outlet.

Stay calm. A courteous but firm attitude should help clear, open communication to flow. Have all receipts and documentation ready to present, as this will tighten up the dates and circumstances surrounding your case. If you have lost your receipt, a date/time, and any credit/debit card you used may help to trace the transaction. Introduce yourself and state the issue with the transaction clearly.

Be sure to listen

Ensure you’re listening as well as speaking. Don’t embellish and avoid surrendering to the short-term high of losing your temper. This can delay and discredit your complaint. You should get one or two options in the case of a valid issue, and it’s up to you to either accept those, choose one, or respond with your expectations. Generally, with household goods, you don’t have to accept a repair over a refund or replacement, and your contract is with the supplier, not the manufacturer. If you’re hoping for a full refund, get the piece back within 30-days if possible, as otherwise (in bald legalities) you can be offered a repair or replacement.

Getting what we want

We cannot always get what we want. Just changing your mind over a terrestrial purchase outside of the returns period — you don’t have a leg to stand on. Don’t go straight to the nuclear option and stop payment instalments without reason, hammering out venomous reviews on Google Business.

If you discover something is not as described, not in working order or not fit for purpose — stop using any faulty goods immediately, inform the seller, and if there’s still a problem (in accordance with the Consumer Act of 2022) you can then stop any payment instalments. Check out the charge-back facility of your card provider if you’ve used one. It’s in the face of these challenging interactions that many retailers, suppliers, and contractors show you exactly who they are. Many will shine, so give the retailer or service provider every reasonable chance to do the right thing.

Cooling-off period

When buying online with the majority of goods and services (unless otherwise stipulated), you have a 14-day cooling-off period, no quibble, no nonsense. For goods delivered to your home, this period starts on delivery. Unpack pieces carefully to avoid damage to packaging in the case of a return. Inform the seller immediately by email or using their set procedure that you intend to return, and ensure you get an acknowledgement. Commercial outlets must have a procedure in place to deal with returns. Take pictures of any damage alongside the packaging if this is the issue. Return postal charges should be refunded to you. This all underscores the good reason to check the returns policy for everything you buy or sign up for (before you whip out the credit card) — everywhere you go.

Documents at the ready

If you telephone in a complaint or are dealing with this online, have your documents and facts neatly organised in front of you. Use a highlighter marker for numbers you may want to refer to quickly, and be prepared to upload and forward receipts, tracking records and digitised images of damaged goods. Keep a record of the times and dates of your calls, all emails, and the name of the individual you dealt with, if given.

If the problem is service-related, say a ratty encounter/call or letter from a member of staff, be ready to forward the details to their HR or superior. Obtain a name/email/telephone number if you get a response from an actual person, so that you can follow the matter up with them again.

If you are complaining online, keep copies of all interactions, and expect a reasonably prompt response, if only an acknowledgement that your complaint has been received. Do not surrender to infuriating customer service AI chatbots if you’re getting nowhere. Track down a telephone line to a human being or a proper email.

Possibility of redress

Consider whether or not redress is possible or worth pursuing. Some wrongs cannot be put right or can only be put right at a very high cost in time, money and stress. Sometimes you may have put yourself in a vulnerable situation, for example, by hiring untried, uninsured, non-tax-compliant direct labour on an hourly basis to do a project in your home. If the loss is a small amount, save yourself the chest pains, take it as a life lesson, and move on. Otherwise, your next stop is the Small Claims Court.

Where there is a governing association or trade group set over someone’s service and goods, there’s nothing like a firm, healthy boot up the code-of-practice from their professional representative body to put things right. Without your complaint, that yank on the leash, you’re setting up the next customer to get the same treatment.

Finally, I would urge everyone to allow for any professional or small business of any kind to have a bad day or a ropey transaction. Online reviews, even when you have cause, can do immense, ongoing damage in just a few keystrokes.