Yes, complaints are down – pretty much in every sector of business. TARP (the Troubled Asset Relief Program, which was created to help stabilize the financial system during the financial crisis of 2008) has been tracking this downward turn for years and the question seems to be – is this a good thing or a bad thing?

If fewer complaints indicate an improvement in the services we collectively provide, it is a good thing. If it means fewer people are complaining because they have given up – it is NOT a good thing. TARP reports indicate the latter is the issue. In general, customers’ perceptions and experiences seem to indicate that complaining will do no good and businesses don’t really care to strive for excellence anymore. Businesses seem to be getting by, but only just getting by, and are unable to meet more demanding goals. Could it be that the tight economy is a part of that attitude? Is it possible our customers think we just don’t care.

It’s often said that “perception is everything”; therefore, it’s important to monitor service levels through in house testing, and randomly sampling customers’ experiences, giving a picture of how we are doing and where we need to improve. No news is not necessarily good news! Ask us to conduct a short survey for you. Be sure your customers are pleased with your services.