“You screwed up.”
“I’M SERIOUSLY PISSED OFF!!!”
Those are two examples of how most people complain. They are also examples of what not to do.
Look, I’m not exceptional at many things in this world. But I’m a hell of a complainer. Here’s why I’ve earned tens of thousands of dollars worth of points, cash, credits, merchandise, rooms, flights, and on and on…
- I’m not scared – At least half of you avoid complaining because “it’s not nice.” Frankly, that’s a pretty messed up way of thinking. Nobody’s talking about lying and making up stuff to whine about. But when there are legitimate issues and you don’t speak up…it’s either weakness, fear, or laziness. It absolutely is not kindness. How can you get what you want if you don’t ask for it?
- I’m not a douchebag – This is the problem with many people who are comfortable enough to complain. It’s very simple. If you treat someone like shit, why would they ever do anything for you? In the past 3 months, I’ve gotten free breakfast, waived resort fees, late checkout, points, miles, entire nights credited, cash, and airline vouchers. I never had to use a disrespectful word.
- I appeal to people as a human being – There’s more to someone than their job title. Talk to human beings as human beings. A few years ago, I was in Chicago to watch Oprah’s final big show at the United Center. There had been a Capital One Venture promo and I had Ritz Carlton gift cards. I decided to live it up for a few days and burned them all. That first night, I heard a couple having some fun. But their headboard knocking into my wall woke me at 2:30 AM. When morning came, I called the front desk. I told the manager how excited we were to be there, how we loved the hotel, and that this was a very special weekend. There was a reason we weren’t staying at the Holiday Inn. By the time I got to the headboard part, she actually gasped. It mattered to her. In some small way, I mattered to her. She wanted to make sure my special weekend lived up to expectations. That morning, she moved us to a ridiculous suite. The only other people on that floor were the Miami Heat, who were in town for their playoff series against Chicago.
- I don’t cut my own legs off – I always think of speech class in junior high school. So many people walked up there…and immediately proceed to talk about how their speech wasn’t going to be good… how they had originally planned more. Man, they really were their worst enemy. This week, when complaining about my Ink card losing its lounge benefit…I felt a little resistance. The rep said my annual fee wasn’t due and he wouldn’t be able to credit my account. This is where a lot of people hang up. But instead of crawling away, I suggested points. A couple minutes later, he added a few thousand to my Ultimate Rewards account.
- I know when to move on up – Sometimes, a person has no power to help. Or doesn’t care. Or is just a dud. Don’t waste your breath on the wrong person. If you need to speak with a manager, ask for one. If you need to reach out to a corporate office, so be it. I signed up for AT&T U-Verse a couple months ago. My internet was supposed to be incredibly fast. It was far from that. The rep didn’t see a problem. I made sure the manager understood the issue. I got a $200 credit on my $135 bill.
