It is never a pleasant task to call up the customer service of one of your service providers and complain about any issue you may have encountered, whether it is a faulty bill or inadequate service you have received. Nevertheless, making unpleasant telephone conversations to lodge a complaint is a part of life that one must be prepared for. How you go about making this conversation can go a long way in determining whether you get the desired outcome or not. In this article, we offer some practical tips to lodge a complaint in English with a service provider over a phone call.

One of the most important aspects to having a fruitful conversation is to ensure that you keep a cool temperament while speaking in English. We know of some people who believe that one must be aggressive and start screaming and shouting on the phone to put the customer service executive on the defensive. On the contrary, starting off a conversation that way is one way to ensure that your complaint really doesn’t get the real attention of the service staff. Which human being likes to be screamed at?

Start the conversation - even though you are lodging a complaint and not happy about the situation- as politely as you can. Acknowledge the pleasantries offered by the service staff. By doing so, they know that you are prepared to have a constructive conversation and will be more receptive to your complaints.

Be prepared with all relevant details

It will help you immensely to be fully prepared with relevant details before you make the complaint call. This saves time for both parties and helps move forward the conversation. For example, the standard questions asked by any customer service centre include the full customer name, the customer number, the bill number & date (if the complaint is pertaining to a faulty bill). They are also likely to have some verification questions, depending on what service you are calling about.

Explain your complaint clearly

Tell them very clearly what you are complaining about and why you think that there is an issue. For example, in case you are calling regarding a rather high electricity bill for a particular month, you could give them your typical bill amounts and any other factors that could have resulted in lower bills such as the premises being closed for vacation.

Request for information on next steps

Once you have put forward your complaint, chances are that the executive will have to get other people to look into your problem before being able to resolve it. Therefore, ensure that you get complete clarity on by when you can expect to receive a resolution to your complaint. Note down details of the person you spoke with and the date and time you did so. If you are able to get an e-mail address of the customer service staff you spoke with, it is a good practice to follow up your conversation with an e-mail.

We hope you do not have too many reasons to complain about. But if you do, keep the above tips in mind and have a fruitful conversation that results in the outcome that you desire.

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-By Chander Madan