Why Complaining isn’t Always a Bad Thing

No one likes a complainer (My food salad has too much lettuce. My car has too much gas. My wine glass is too empty.). Complaining about any and everything is a waste of time, and it is a huge turn-off. However, there are several times in life when it is more than appropriate to complain, and inappropriate not to complain. The key to becoming a good complainer is not to complain about everything (everyone is stuck in traffic and complaining isn’t going to get you home any faster, you know) but to choose your complaints wisely. Additionally, without complaints you will never get the service you deserve. Either take your complaints home and live with them, or let it be known that you expect more. Stop feeling guilty about being dissatisfied; here are several reasons why complaining is not always bad.

It Shows You are Vocal

By complaining about poor service or a job done incorrectly you are showing the business or person that messed up that you have a voice and you are not afraid to use it. Complaining will show them that you are not willing to be taken advantage of and that you are not afraid to let others know about their poor performance. In the future, you can bet they will do a better job serving you. Additionally, you can prevent the same inconvenience from occurring to someone else.

It Shows You Expect Quality

Say you hire a lawn service to mow your grass and landscape your yard. After their first visit to your home you are excited to see that your grass is mowed, but you are not excited to see that you have a porch full of cigarette butts and yard debris. Calling the company and complaining about this problem shows them that you expect a certain quality of work if they want to continue to work for you. Additionally, you will get your porch cleaned off and likely never have to worry about a subpar performance from them again.

It Helps Others

Your car needs an oil change but the only place that can see you in time for your long road trip is a place you’ve never been. You get your oil changed and get into your car only to realize that your tan leather seats are covered in grease, your doors are covered in grease and your tan floors are covered in grease; and you can’t wash it off. Not only is your car now disgusting, it’s a lease so you have to have it cleaned before you can turn it back in when the lease is up, and that is going to cost a pretty penny. If the person who had come in to this shop before you had complained about this problem, perhaps you would be saved a little time, a lot of aggravation and a boatload of money. If you complain, you can save the next person who comes in the aggravation you experienced.

Don’t Forget to Praise

Complaints can improve service and fix mistakes, but sometimes you need to speak up to praise someone’s service, too. A company or person who is excellent at their job, goes the extra mile or just rocks should be acknowledged. People who work hard should be given praise for their hard work. It helps them to remember why they do it, and it makes them want to continue.