You can't please everybody
Abraham Lincoln - Source azquotes.com
Some customers may have unreasonable expectations
We encourage constructive criticism, but we won't publish vulgar language. We hold complaints for 14 days to give the customer time to consider whether their complaint is fair and to give the business time to resolve any issues, where possible. Where complaints are resolved, we accept a new review from the customer. We may speak to any customer with a complaint, and we will publish your response to any review.
Use your right to reply to reviews
Consumers won't be shocked by reading the occasional complaint - in fact they are more likely to be reassured that our review service is honest. But they will be interested to know your side of the story, so don't be afraid to give an honest answer. Here are some great examples:
If you got it wrong, say so.
Explain where it's a one-off, so it's not likely to happen again. In cases such as illness, we all have to be realistic that this is going to have an impact from time to time.
If you really don't agree with the customer, say so ... politely!
You may be tempted to write a long list of reasons why the customer is wrong, wrong, wrong, but we rarely recommend it. Future customers won't want to deal with a company that seems to be argumentative!
Sometimes, you just have to let it go.
We know from experience that customers may not want to get involved in a discussion about their review. They have had their say, they may already have spoken to you about it, and they really just want to leave it at that. We know how frustrating this can be, so please focus on writing a helpful reply to explain the situation.
98% isn't bad
Overall, 98% of respondents recommend the firms listed on our site. We think that's more impressive than 100% because it shows that Referenceline is independent. We publish complaints as well as praise; and listed firms are honest. Nobody's perfect, not even customers!
Complaints
If you are a member of a trade association, a trading standards scheme or other professional organisation which provides alternative dispute resolution (ADR) then that process takes priority. Your can read more about how we handle complaints in our consumer section here: what if things go wrong.