A Complaint? Its a Compliment!

What made you mad last week?

In the past week, how many times were you upset by something? What action did you take? Complain to the neighbors, make a snide remark to a co-worker, post it on a list or email a group? Did you just gossip or did you try to make it into a positive experience? They say we complain to ten people for every one compliment about a product or service.

Did you call the manager of the company, write the company president, email a suggestion for improvement? Probably not. You were upset but not enough to take action. Or you thought youd be perceived as a whiner. Or that nobody would do anything because youre nobody special.

Complaints are Compliments

People dont complain because they dont like you. They point out faults and know you can do better. They have expectations of your product, your service, your reputation and youve let them down. They complain because theyre disappointed - they like you and want you to succeed.

Look back on your history of lost clients. Was it because they complained or did they just slip quietly away. It was the final straw - once too often that the invoice was wrong, the shipment was late, the product was incomplete, the salesman couldnt solve a problem, the repair person never showed. Etc.

Its one thing to have complaints come into your office and have them solved. Its quite anther when the complainant shows up at your exhibit. So, when youre on the trade show floor, and folks show up with complaints, welcome them. This is an opportunity to gather market intelligence, find out whats really happening with your product and service and keep a client.

Here are 7 Tips to turn complaints into positive action.

1. Be Prepared
If you know about problems with product, shipping or sales staff, you should expect some negative comments or direct complaints. Dont pretend to be surprised. Decide before the show how these complaints will be acknowledged. You cant hide from problems - surely youve made a recall, rebate, replacement or other adjustment.

2. Make Sure Everyone Knows
Perhaps there were problems resolved at a managerial or division level. But your booth staff is composed of people from all levels and areas. Everyone needs to know of potential problems that might come up. There should be no secrets. Secrets leak out and become gossip. Gossip can be deadly.

3. Control the Conversation
The meeting will generally start pleasantly and then get to the complaint. Sometimes youll have a rowdy visitor. In either case, move to the side, or out of the booth, or best yet, set an appointment to resolve it off the floor. This is a problem between your firm and one customer - dont make it part of trade show folklore.

4. Listen Carefully
Make sure you understand what the problem really is. Is it a specific complaint about one shipping disaster, or a general blast about your shipping carrier? Resolve the first with the customer. Report the second, find out if its widespread and fix it. You cant afford to lose business because of middlemen you cant control.

5. Write It Down
Ask the complaintant if you may make written notes as you speak Say you want to make sure you have all the details. Review them after the encounter. If the person is upset that you are taking notes - stop, and put the notes aside until he leaves. NEVER make people fill out forms. That shows you anticipated a problem but didn't try to reach out to clients. They took the initiative and found you on their own at the show.

6. Appoint an Arbitrator.
There has to be one final authority from your firm in the booth at all times. This is the person who has the authority to resolve the problem on the spot, to pass it to the right level and to calm the complainers. Dont make them fill out forms. Trade shows are fast paced - they want a decision now. More critically, they want to know that their input is valuable to you. Acknowledge and thank them for their valuable assistance in making your business a success.

7. Out of the Blue.
Sometimes, there will be a problem thats a complete surprise. Often its a staffing problem - a rude sales person, a question of misappropriated funds, an unknown side deal, an executive with an addition. This is not gossip. Its unconfirmed information in tricky territory which must be treated with utmost confidentiality. Its critical to get the correct information and pass it along discretely to the proper persons within your firm.

Remember, a complaint really is a compliment.

Enjoy your next show!

Julia O'Connor

In one way or another, Julia has always been in sales. From the time her mortified mother found out that, as an enterprising 5-year-old, she was peddling homemade pot holders to the neighbors, to her current expertise in trade show marketing, she has been interested in results. And in order to get the results she wants, she will guide, train and teach.

Her careers range from public and professional education design, to freelance advertising-public relations, to real estate investment portfolio management.

Since 1982, Julia has been working with clients in trade show marketing. And, when she asked clients, "why are you going to that show?", she found most did not know. Time to teach.

After years of informal instruction, Trade Show Training was incorporated to provide structured training ranging from trade show basics to the ergonomics of exhibit design. She designed Camp Sho-M-Sel-M to improve sales staff performance in the trade show environment.

She holds degrees from The University of Georgia in Advertising, an MA in Mass Communications from The University of Iowa, and an Indiana University MBA in Marketing. She is a frequent speaker on marketing, networking, entrepreneurship and trade shows.