I savour the sweet taste of revenge

Oct 10 2003 By Nicholas Craig, The Journal

It's strange what makes national news. I did recently. The Daily Telegraph recounted the horror story of my visit to the Law Society's Chancery Lane showers, which are remarkably grim.

My letter of complaint to the Law Society - and perhaps the airing in the newspaper - has, however, spurred the society into action. Thank goodness.

Let's hope they have at least remembered to provide soap by now, so I don't have to wander around semi-clad to find some, and risk psychologically scarring any other visitors.

It's an old chestnut that we are a nation of non-complainers. We meekly tell the waiter our meal is fine when it isn't, put up with less-than-perfect goods rather than go through the elongated agony of explaining, writing, scrabbling for the receipt, and defending our implied misuse of the shoes/furniture/car. We quietly tut at queue-jumpers in shops and become almost saint-like as we wait patiently for the long-overdue bus, train or plane.

It's a calculated risk, but a well-honed letter of complaint not only gets results, but is remarkably cathartic. Recently, more of us seem to be coming to the same conclusion - but many others still prefer to put up and shut up. As in all fields, there is a good and a bad way of going about letting off steam. And, as always, there are rows of books offering advice on how to complain effectively.

It is surprising how many people are physically affected by the prospect of having to complain and dread the thought of a possible confrontation with affronted staff. A better understanding of our rights as consumers could help to ease the discomfort of these customers.

At the other extreme are the semi-professionals, who boast of their repeated successes in the same way they would if they were recurring competition-winners. Some have even set up internet sites to tell the world.

When a no-frills airline left Mike Webb, of Surrey, stranded he complained to the airline. He also set up a website to detail his fight for compensation and invite others to air their own complaints.

Easyjet-sucks.org describes how he and his family were stuck in Spain after bad weather closed Alicante airport. The message is in the title. Revenge is sweet.

* Nicholas Craig is a partner at Watson Burton law firm.