"Dear sir/madam, I would like to complain..."

A recent study of customer experience suggests that the general public are growing increasingly intolerant of poor customer experiences provided by organisations. The study, conducted by YouGov plc and commissioned by RightNow Technologies, reveals that British consumers complain up to five times a year. Of the 2,800 British consumers polled, 69 percent had complained to a company and more than three-quarters (79 percent) of these indicated they had complained about their treatment between one and five times in the past 12 months.

Are consumers more demanding than ever before? Or is there a more worrying trend - that customer service levels are on the wane. Certainly there seems to be a discrepancy when it comes to resolution of these complaints. 60 percent of Britons expect the problem to be fixed to their satisfaction, but only 27 percent report that this is the case. Disturbingly, 34 percent of respondents state that companies did nothing once a complaint had been made. Is all the talk about ‘putting the customer first’ simply empty words?

An alternative solution is that the UK is merely a nation of moaners. It has long been held that we're a whiny bunch. And indeed this theory is pervasive enough to warrant a pre-emptive strike in the study's accompanying press release, with Gladena McMahon, accredited cognitive behavioural psychotherapist for the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies, stating: "Although the British have a reputation for complaining about the inclement weather, in reality the majority of us don't enjoy making a complaint and it usually takes something relatively significant to drive us to that point."

But there could be an alternative explanation for the rise in complaints. Disgruntled customers can now vent their frustration - and get paid for it! New website www.yoursaypays.co.uk. pays visitors to take part in market research which is used to assess UK customer service. The site, set up by customer satisfaction firm The Leadership Factor, rewards customer service panellists between 50p and £2 per completed survey, which they can choose to keep or donate to charity.

“Customers shouldn’t have to tolerate poor service but complaining can be time consuming and stressful,” notes Nigel Hill, founder of The Leadership Factor. “Similarly to encourage excellent customer service we should highlight those companies whose customers are very happy."

Whatever the reason for the surge in customer complaints, it does in fact open an interesting opportunity for firms. Complaints can happen to even the best of businesses, and customer management professionals can use these to create performance indicators and track them. They can even acknowledge the influence of regular complainants and form them into a collaborative panel. Complaints management is a growing field, and with complaints on the rise, it could prove to be a valuable area to tap into. Expect MyCustomer.com to cover this area in more detail in the coming months.

Neil Davey, editor

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