A Complaint Is a Gift: Using Customer Feedback as a Strategic Tool

by Janelle Barlow

Book Overview

The first edition of A Complaint Is a Gift introduced a revolutionary notion: customer complaints are a valuable feedback mechanism that can help organizations rapidly and inexpensively strengthen products, service style, and market focus. In fact, they're the best bargain around in market research. Using numerous real-life examples, Janelle Barlow and Claus M ller show precisely how to handle complaints to bring benefit to your organization and satisfaction...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1881052818
• ISBN13: 9781881052814
• Release Date: January 1996
• Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers
• Length: 232 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Fabulous credible Book

Bravo! I found this book readable, intelligent, and highly informative. The chapter on the personal side of Complaints Handing is important to all those who feel that their value as a customer is dismissed and want to learn how to best structure a letter or phone call that works. While this is certainly not a self-improvement book, it does give the reader insights into the managerial mind of companies. And it will help you to improve!

This book IS a gift for Increasing Customer Loyalty

When things go wrong, most of us want to run and hide. But wait! These embarrassing moments can be among the most positive and powerful for your business and your career. Barlow and Moller reveal why a complaining customer can is valuable asset. And they show you exactly how to win your customer back, win a lot more business and get positive testimonials, too! If success in business is important to you, you want to read this book!

A gift well packed!

I can strongly recommend the new edition of this book since I use it. Using a methodology outlined is not only instructive but simple.The author defines the steps a manager must make when dealing with a complaining customer. Barlow and Moller encourage businesses to evaluate the standards that are important to them and follow certain rules to not only satisfy the customer but keep the customer coming back. And that's the most important thing for a business to strive for - the returning customer.

Gives Insights on How to Complain Effectively

My complaints are mainly with tour companies, airlines, and hotels. My letters and emails go unanswered, especially when I travel with European tour companies. So reading this book helped me to understand how businesses think and approach them in a positive way. The author gives clever and informative guidelines so that next time I have a serious complaint I will know how to address the company making sure that I get positive results and they accept my criticism as an opportunmity for improvement. The author's style is personable and entertaining as she gives lots of examples on why one should complain and how companies must alter their preceptions of complaints. I've had some terrible experiences with companies in the past but now I have the tools to get results. Companies and businesses should use this book as a textbook.

The best book available for customer service!

I just discovered this book, and it is a godsend! I have my entire company reading it. We can tell that there is a profound difference in the way that our customers respond to us. Janelle Barlow is a very gifted researcher with the ability to make complex ideas clearly understandable. Her co-author, Claus Moller, is one of Europe most highly regarded management gurus. The book even comes with a forward by the Chairman of British Airways -- who credits the methods discussed with turning his complany around from a money-loser to one of the world's premier airlines. I recommend this book to everyone who wants to get better at customer service.