What do you do when you’re not happy with your meal at a restaurant (it’s cold, not what you ordered, not cooked properly), or disappointed with the service of a shop or small business?
A: Have a reasonable, calm, and polite conversation where you outline your concerns, give the establishment a chance to respond and rectify the situation, and try to reach an amicable solution (assertive).
B: Say nothing, but seethe internally (passive).
C: Say nothing directly to the business, but then bag it out to everyone you know afterwards, or put a negative post on your social media pages (passive-aggressive).
D: Tell staff loudly, abruptly, and rudely that the food/service is crap and you expect a full refund immediately or will never be back; or just walk out (aggressive).
I am constantly surprised and disappointed by how many people avoid fair, reasonable and direct conversations and instead go with options B, C, or D on this list.
Option C is particularly prevalent now, with many people happy to rant via a keyboard, but not to have a conversation to someone’s face. Sure, if you speak with a business and are still unsatisfied with the outcome, put it on social media if you feel the need – but at least give them the chance to make amends first.
Providing feedback in a fair and constructive manner is not rude and it’s not whinging. It’s the opportunity to have your needs met and also allows the business to fix the problem and improve in the future. Good businesses will appreciate it as it provides the chance of a win-win outcome.
So next time you’re unhappy with food or service, speak up. And if you’re not sure how to do that, put Monday 28 November on your calendar and come along to my next public Effective Communication: Developing Assertiveness for Personal and Career Success workshop from 7.00-9.30pm at Moe Service Centre.
#effectivecommunication #assertive #workshop #gippsland #moe #speakup
