Have you ever been so angry with a business, or an acquaintance you threatened to write a letter? I have a colleague who tells me when she gets angry she sits down and writes a letter. Most people would say this is a constructive, appropriate and healthy method of communicating displeasure; however, she never mails the letter. After composing a tirade of insults, and threats, she quietly puts them in her desk drawer, never allowing her observations or suggestions for improvement to be heard.
This doesn’t sound too satisfying to me.
I learned from a very young age, to express my dissatisfaction with a business or product in writing, is very satisfying indeed. You see, my mother possessed a knack for composing stinging letters of displeasure; and she didn’t hesitate to mail them. Her letters were generally met with a grand apology, and attempts to reconcile with flowers, free coupons, or complimentary tickets. I will never forget the manager of a local supermarket in my community standing at our front door with a bouquet of flowers in one hand, his hat in the other nervously waiting to speak with my mother after she lodged a complaint. That was the good old days. Complaints were taken seriously and steps to amend problems taken immediately. Today, I doubt that much effort is spent trying to make amends.
Today, many businesses and their employees don’t seem to care about quality customer service. The healthcare system is not exempt. In fact there are times when we don’t treat our customers very well at all. I’ve heard healthcare workers exclaim, “If they don’t like it they can go somewhere else. These people should be grateful we saved their lives, and yet they have the audacity to complain.” We forget patients have the “right” to complain if our service to them needs improvement. There have been times in my life when I have witnessed huge change in an employee or entire system following negative feedback from a patient, or a coworker. Sometimes a slap in the face is the best wake-up call one can ask for. Many of us have the false notion we are without fault, and until we are actually faced with misdeeds in writing we are ignorant. Feedback in writing has terrific impact—whether positive or negative.
This week I had the pleasure of giving positive feedback in a letter. After having a terrible experience with a local business in town many years ago, I wrote a stinging letter to the owner, vowing never to patronize his business ever again. Ten years later I find myself returning to the business. I have been very pleased with the customer service over the past year, and thought I owed the owner another letter
—this time a nice one. I hope the letter impacts the employees and serves as a stimulus for others to demonstrate professional behavior and human kindness. It felt good for a change. I think we should all make an effort more often in this country to compliment and reward effort, honesty and hard work. We are all so quick to judge, condemn or complain
—but we rarely compliment
Are you a letter writer? Do you complain, but never compliment? Do yourself a favor and write a letter complimenting a service or business. It will do your heart good!