Page 14 - EngineerIT AugustSeptember Issue 2026

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Why the best brands want you

to complain

t’s a fact every business owner "Customers stopped expecting "When you look at complaints that
needs to come to terms with: all perfection a long time ago," says cost companies a customer, it's
Ibusinesses make mistakes. Orders Leonie Stanley, Operations Director at almost never the fault itself. It's
go missing, systems go down and Euphoria Telecom. "What they haven't that the customer had to chase
invoices come out wrong, and none stopped expecting is honesty. If you get before anyone made contact,"
of that is completely avoidable. The that right, a mistake can actually be the says Stanley. "You don't need
difference between the businesses moment you win someone over." the answer in the first hour, you
customers stay loyal to and the ones need contact in the first hour.
they quietly leave isn't the mistake Customers forgive mistakes, but Acknowledge, give a timeline,
itself. It's what happens in the not silence and keep to it. The moment a
minutes and days after, and that part A billing error, explained clearly and fixed customer has to follow up, the
is entirely within a company's control. fast, rarely loses a customer. Leave it business has already lost ground."
unacknowledged for a week, and they're
gone. Frustration rarely comes from the Complaints are the cheapest
original problem. It comes from feeling research you'll ever get
unheard. Tell a customer "we're aware of Companies spend serious money
this and we're working on it" and the wait on market research. Meanwhile,
feels manageable. Tell them nothing the most honest feedback they'll
and the same wait tells the customer ever get arrives free of charge:
their problem is trivial. customers telling them exactly
where a product, process or
By Leonie Stanley, Operations Director at Euphoria Telecom journey isn't working.

14 | EngineerIT August/September 2026