📘 Part 3: Complaints

This episode's vocabulary

Scathing (adj.) - criticizing someone or something in a severe and unkind way.

Substitution (noun) - the use of one person or thing instead of another.

Customer service (noun) - the fact of treating customers in a polite and helpful way, which is considered an important part of running a good business.

To moan (verb) - to make a long, low sound of pain, suffering, or another strong emotion.

To whinge (verb) - to complain, especially about something that does not seem important.

Stingy (adj.) - unwilling to spend money.

To whine (verb) - If you whine, especially as a child, you complain or express disappointment or unhappiness repeatedly.

To address (verb) - to speak or write to someone.

Promptly (adverb) - quickly, without delay, or at the arranged time.

Palpable (adj.) - so obvious that it can easily be seen or known, or (of a feeling) so strong that it seems as if it can be touched or physically felt.

Awry (adj.) - not in the intended way.

To assess (verb) - to judge or decide the amount, value, quality, or importance of something.

To meet (verb) - to fulfil, satisfy, or achieve.

To handle (verb) - to deal with, have responsibility for, or be in charge of.

Questions and Answers

M: Who is more likely to complain, older or younger people?

R: Oh, I'd imagine that younger people are more likely to complain. Well, just considering they have access to all these channels to do so like social media or online reviews. It's easy to post a scathing comment and demand satisfaction these days if you know how to do it, which young people generally are more capable of doing. You'll also need to highlight to do so because substitution is fun.

M: What do people often complain about?

R: Well, I think most often go on about matters related to customer service, such as when a staff member is rude or product quality is bad when like when things aren't delivered as they were presented. Sometimes you'll moan about pricing. But that's more to do with inflation these days, rather than companies I suppose.

M: What products or services do people in your country like to complain about?

R: Oh, I think you would be hard-pressed to find something they didn't whinge about, frankly. If we speak about British people as a whole, then they allegedly go on about the weather rather a lot, because, frankly, it's rather miserable. And Scottish people in particular, can be really stingy and whine about the cost of things on the regular.

M: Which is better to complain in writing or talk to people?

R: I think that depends on the situation, doesn't it? Complaining and writing would definitely be more helpful for documenting and tracking the issue, while complaining in person could help establish a more personal connection, and ensure that the issue is addressed promptly. When you put a human face on a problem, it tends to make it more, I don't know, palpable and easier to relate to.

M: Is it necessary for companies to set up customer service?

R: Oh, 100%, it's essential. They provide a direct line of communication between the company and the customer to address issues and improve customer satisfaction. If they didn't have them, then it would be like talking to a brick wall when something goes awry, which never has a happy ending. Because no one's listening, and making an effort to resolve the issue, which just makes the frustration build up.

M: Will customers' complaints improve products or services?

R: I'd certainly say so. By addressing and resolving them and assessing the feedback companies can identify areas for improvement and make changes to better meet the needs of their customers. I think the most obvious example might be whenever an app gets an update, usually, it's to resolve some sort of issue and maybe add a new feature to better support customers.

M: Are there any disadvantages to setting up customer services?

R: I suppose one potential disadvantage of doing so is that it can be costly for companies to staff and maintain these services. If customer complaints are, well, if they're not handled effectively, it could damage a company's reputation and lead to loss of business as well.

M: Do you think that people will complain more in the future?

R: Well, if there are going to be more people and the population is increasing then the absolute number of complaints will increase. But when it comes to the percentage of the population during the complaining, I have no idea if that proportion will increase or decrease.

M: Thank you, Rory, for your answers!

R: No problem. Hopefully, there's nothing to complain about.