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Why is it so hard for a large percentage, if not most of the population to give compliments and positive feedback, encouragement, acknowledgement over the negative/criticism?
In life do you spread the negative or the positive more? I'm talking in terms of everything, life, friendships, experiences in the real world.
I try to be fair. If I've received good service, I let them know. I've emailed restaurants in the past and completed online reviews. If I have a negative experience, I let it go unless I feel it has been really wrong and needs addressing, then I contact the company directly. Sometimes they reply, sometimes they don't.
I always compliment good service and bring it to the attention of management if it's super good service.
I contacted Centrelink about a particularly great lady who went out of her way to help (even though it was 5mins before the end of business and it was a more complicated query than I'd realized) and had a lovely letter from her manager saying thank you for the compliment.
People are often far too quick to complain but don't think to compliment.
My job is to manage complaints so I always try to leave good feedback when I have a positive experience.
Sepata that must be stressful to do that as a job?
Are people usually rational and reasonable about their complaint?
I'll tell the person what a wonderful job they've done, but I usually talk myself out of telling the boss - it's a self confidence, 'my opinion doesn't matter anyway' thing. But I definitely thank them if they've been helpful.
It can be stressful some cases are time sensitive and require a lot of immediate work, which can put the other cases on the backburner. Understandably, the complainants for the other cases don't appreciate another complaint taking precedence over theirs.
I would say that the majority of people are level headed and reasonable, there are, of course, people who come across as being very unreasonable but I don't know what's been happening in their life prior to the issue that has caused the complaint so I try not to judge. Then we have the blacklist, people who are abusive, threatening, irrational...
I enjoy the job, because I like fixing problems and most complaints come to some sort of resolution everyone's happy with, and it's nice to make people happy in the end.
I think a lot of people complain more than compliment when it comes to service, because there's a (completely reasonable) expectation that the product/service/etc will be good, correct, valuable, etc. When that standard isn't met, people complain. When their expectations are met, that's status quo, and so they don't necessarily express gratitude.
Same with people and friends often enough - people expect others to behave well, treat them respectfully, etc. When people are mean, take what isn't theirs, lie, gossip, etc, people get upset, their expectations aren't met, and they complain. So again - when their expectations are met, that's status quo, and so they don't necessarily express gratitude.
I try to even the odds with those around me, at work, in my personal life, with service providers, etc. Sometimes I succeed, sometimes I don't, but I try :)
If I get good service, I thank the person. Last time was yesterday, my hair looks good. Before that was to the chef for great food. I will write/email about exceptional service, last time was last week to a colleague.
Bad service, I complain to DH.
Dreadful service, I complain until I am heard (for years, if need be). Then avoid that place/chain for as long as possible.
I try to complain and compliment equally. But I prefer to compliment more, its just that not often I get exceptional service.
Thank you for your replies :)
It's so nice to know there are people out there to go out of their way to compliment!
I was a cop in a former life, so I've had plenty more than my fair share of complaints lol, but as a result I try really hard to compliment - everybody, not just for service, but my kids, DH, my GF's, their kids, the people I come across at school...whoever. Purely because I remember how worthwhile receiving a compliment is.