Customer complaints can give businesses a wake-up call when they're not achieving their fundamental purpose--meeting customer needs. They are a feedback mechanism that can help organizations rapidly and inexpensively shift products, service, style, and market focus. Businesses that don't value their customers' complaints suffer from costly, negative word-of-mouth advertising.
Presenting dozens of real-life striking examples of poor--and excellent-- complaint handling, Barlow and Moller show that companies must view complaints as gifts if they are to have loyal customers.
Janelle Barlow is president and owner of TMI US. She is the coauthor of Emotional Value, Smart Videoconferencing, and Branded Customer Service.
Claus Møller is the founder of TMI. He has written several books on management, which together have sold more than three million copies.