Handling complaints properly will increase your bottom line and give you an important edge over your competition.

Here are the facts:

· 30% of complainants say that they are not satisfied with how their complaints are handled by companies (National Consumer Council, 1999)

· Market research indicates that it costs five times as much to bring in new customers as it does to retain existing ones

People who have been handled well when they've complained end up being very loyal and tell their friends. Even the best companies make mistakes, but what really matters is 'getting it right when things go wrong'.