Unhappy customers are trouble for any company. It only takes one of them to spoil the entire mood and momentum for everyone. What is worst, is having one that spread negative information and present negative images to prospective customers of the company. They have reasons to be unhappy. Some don’t feel well that day. Some may have unrealistic expectations while others are just bad character.

The customers may not be always right but even so, we should keep our cool and appease them in every way. Remember they are our profit $$$! They are our future businesses too! Thus we want them to be happy again! We need to take control of customer complaints and turn them to our advantage. Here we present steps to resolve their complaints which have proven over the years to work well. Do not allow time to lapse and make things worse by avoiding the. Be fast and responsive to their unhappiness is the key success in resolving their complaints!

1. Listen with your heart – Pay attention to your customer. Do not attempt to interrupt them. Let the finish what they want to say. They feel there is a need for their story to be said out and want it been heard!

2. Thank Them — Thank the customer for bring up the problem to your attention (even though deep in your heart you really not want to hear about it). If you don’t feel this way, make yourself feel that you are aware of a new problem

3. Apologize – Sincerely apologize to the customer for the situation that they are feeling. This will cool them down for a moment. Do not justify your cause or the company stand. This is not the time for reasons or justification. An apology is all that is ever needed here.

4. Seek the Best Solution – Find the best solution. Ask them first what they would like as a solution. You be surprised that they do not really want the solution you have in mind.

5. Reach Agreement - Reach an agreement of the solution proposed to resolve the problem. This includes the time to get the resolution completed.

6. Take Quick Action – After all the talk, it is time to act. Act with a sense of urgency. Customers will feel pacified when you are reacting immediately to their needs.

7. Follow-up – After the resolution is being acted on. The problem should be resolved. Do a final closure to their complaint. Follow-up with the customer to ensure that they are fully satisfied. Ask them if there is anything that they need to be addressed if they are not fully satisfied. Be patience and you will reap the reward of a satisfied customer that will come back to you for business in the longer run.

Problems happen every now and then. It is how we admit it honestly and handle them suitably which counts. Customers will remember you for resolving their complaints and will give you another chance to delight them with the correct solution. However, a cautious note, do not drag any resolution. Be swift and accurate as possible in resolving the problems. A prolonged resolution will only worsen the customer expectation of you.

1. If you are unhappy on the compensation and money issue, and you feel that the company is not going to properly compensate you no matter how many times you approached them, then its time to get a new job.  You can get a higher paying job if you have the capabilities and not limit yourself to the current one!  (Unless you lack the capabilities and you demand a higher pay).
2. If you are not on your boss’s list for fatter bonus or progression, then take a look around and make a healthy comparison with co-workers that are receiving one.  Are they really better than you in terms of performance and results delivery?  OR are there expectations and targets that they are able to meet, and you are not aware of and fail to meet.
3. If it’s the lack of leadership, appreciation, favouritism and poor judgement that is causing the grievances, you might consider changing a department, another job or the most direct, practical and effective method is to create a reporting structure that you directly reports to your boss’s immediate superior.  In this way, you are no reporting to him and thus empowering you.  Another note is that, he has to be wary now that you are under his boss’s protection too!
4. If it’s the boot-licking and politicking activities your boss indulges that left you disgusted and unhappy, we would suggest giving your boss the benefit of doubt first.  Observe to see if your boss does such activities for his own interest or the entire team’s interest.  If it is on his own interest, then its time to move on.  If it’s for the team, you may feel disgusted but it’s for the good cause for everyone.  Sometimes you will be surprised with bosses that do that for the team!
5. If it’s the bureaucracy and red tapes that is blowing your mind away, then you have two options.  One of them is to foster another set of thinking that bureaucracy and red tapes are necessary for the organization (such as banks and financial institutes).  The other, is to change your job that has more freedom.  Especially when these red tapes are procedures that restrict your career progression.  But think thoroughly before you do that.  The short term desire for freedom may not be wise in the long run!

1. Your company disallow internet access at work.  You can’t surf the web for research.  You won’t even be able to use it for personal relaxation or make an air ticket reservation.
2. You are unable or disallow to use the instant messenger at work.   (We do not understand why you need to use the instant messenger at work as it can decrease your productivity in the first place…)
3. You do not like your boss’s dress sense (totally outrageous!)
4. You cannot work from home! It’s your dream to lie on the couch, having the aromatic coffee and firing your emails away.  But nope, fat hope!  You can’t do that.
5. You have to abide to the break hours.  One hour lunch break means one hour lunch break.  No more than that!
6. You do not have overseas trip!  You are always not in the list of overseas assignments.…
7. You are constantly tracked on your activities at work, including the places you visited or the sites you surfed from office.  You hate being tracked.
8. You are annoyed with the intrusion of privacy.  The company is tracking all your activities and your profile constantly…

Sometimes, such impractical stuff is reasons why employees leave the company.  It’s totally different from the practical reasons.  Maybe you feel unhappy at work because of one of these reasons too.  If you are the employer or manager, you may want to talk and observe your employees on their unhappiness.   Is it as described here?  Is it worthwhile to keep them in the first place?  Food for thought! J

1. You feel that there is a high level of favoritism in the work place and is working at your disadvantage.
2. You do not like the competition at work and you can’t keep up the pace with other co-workers.
3. You do not like the work environment due to a competitive culture that promotes defending each individual’s premises and interest.
4. You are working in an environment with colleagues that belong to the two-headed snake cult.
5. You are working in a work environment that does not satisfy your hunger for challenges.
6. You are working in a work environment that restricts your progress through their rules and regulations.
7. You do not like the industry.
8. You do not like the culture of the company where they demand you to work your entire life and soul for them or even die for them!
9. You do not like the scope of work
10. Your scope of work changes over time without your consent
11. Your boss do not have any interest of you in mind
12. Your boss demands you to work like a machine
13. You are working long hours as your boss is treating you like a machine
14. You are underpaid even you are working long hours and overtime
15. Your health is deteriorating because of the long hours of work
16. You are working with a lot of unfriendly customers and users that are demanding.

Have any of the above answered your question of unhappiness in the office?  Or if you are an employer or manager, do you feel the negative sentiment at work and these are the reasons behind this negative sentiment?

1. You are (or you feel) underpaid as per what the market rate is offering.
2. You feel that you are not compensated as per what the title or position you are holding should be given.
3. You feel that you should be given a better performance bonus after a year end appraisal review.
4. You feel that the company should be giving a better organisation performance bonus because of the increased sales orders however they didn’t.
5. You feel that office politics is intoxicating the entire organisation at all levels (even at senior management level) and you are sick of it.
6. You are not doing something you like at work.
7. You are forced to do something that is against your principles
8. You do not have the freedom to choose what you can work on
9. You do not like bureaucracy and red tapes
10. You feel the entire system is unfair
11. You feel your boss is unfair
12. Your boss lacks judgement
13. You feel that you deserved better appraisal
14. Your boss lacks leadership and unable to give you clear directions of the team.
15. Your boss does not appreciate your effort and suggestion
16. Your boss is a boot-licker to his stakeholders such as his superior and his customers which he can do things that are dignity defying and against your principles

Have any of the above answered your question of unhappiness in the office?  Or if you are an employer or manager, do you feel the negative sentiment at work and these are the reasons behind this negative sentiment?