According to BBC News, 'More than half of people now complain all or most of the time if they are unhappy with a product - an increase of 18% in five years. Complaining has become so prevalent, that two thirds of people now believe that we are better at it than before. But it is age over youth and inexperience, which increases the chances of making a complaint according to this year's National Complaints Culture Survey (NCCS). Two thirds of those over 50 complain all or most of the time if they are dissatisfied, while the under 21s are the least likely to complain'.
With complaining on the up, the professional and efficient handling of arising issues is a critical factor for all organisations, in both the private and the public sector. And, if dealt with properly, a complaint can lead to loyal and valuable custom. But how can you make sure a complaint doesn't turn into an argument? Follow my top ten tips...

1. Have a clear, flexible and open policy on complaints
A complaint is a gift and you should consider yourself lucky that a customer is prepared to give up valuable time to help you improve your organisation.

2.Train your staff
Staff should be aware that complaints are a top priority for your operation, and anyone who deals with them must have sufficient authority to resolve them completely. Give them confidence to tackle the difficult customers. Excellent complaint handling isn’t easy and can sometimes be stressful and feel unrewarding. Confirm its importance in providing great customer service.

3. Ensure you can process complaints from all sources
Nowadays there are four main ways to complain – in person, by telephone, by mail, by email/internet – and your organisation must be able to handle all of these efficiently. Make sure you respond to all complaints.

4. Log and analyse all complaints
You can learn so much from them, so use them to ensure better customer service in future.

5. Thank customers for complaining
Keeping this complaining customer should be the top priority, remember it cost at least five times as much to gain a new customer, than to keep an existing one. You should consider yourself lucky that the customer is prepared to give up their time and money to let you know they have a problem, instead of just walking away.

6. Put yourself in the place of the customer
Say you are sorry the problem has happened - this is not an admission of guilt on your part, it’s just good manners. Consider the customer so you have more empathy with them and can resolve the situation quickly.

7. Get all the facts first
Letting the customer give you all of the information helps you fully understand the situation and, if they are emotional, will give them time to calm down.

8. Don’t leap straight down the “free gift route”It’s very tempting to give the customer a gift, or vouchers, and in many cases, done properly, it is good service. However, too often it is done instead of solving the problem, which can lead to more complaints about the same issues in future.

9. Correct the mistake
All of the other points are not really valid if you don’t fix the problem! Make sure that your definition of the right fix is the same as the customers.

10. Learn from every complaint
Wherever possible let the complaining customer know that they have helped you resolve a problem – they’ll feel great and come back again and will probably tell their friends! Also consider every complaint as a stepping stone towards getting it right – it is the best way to improve.