I heard one time that J.C. Penney once said something to the effect, “Please give me the privilege of your complaint.” I’m not sure if it was Penney or someone else who said it. I have spent many hours looking, trying to find the original source.

Nonetheless, it is logical. You take a critical diner. The waiter places the flatware before them, and it has a few water spots on it. The diner does not complain. Perhaps they will use their napkin to wipe the spots off. There are people who have such obsessions. I have personally witnessed them firsthand.

Then, naturally, the diner enjoys his meal and leaves without so much as one complaint. However, he never returns due to the water spots.

Perhaps some of you have seen people like this. On the other hand, some of you might be as this diner, maybe in some other way.

I’m not nearly that picky, though sometimes, I must admit to cleaning the spots. I guess the obsession might have come from my days of working in a restaurant. However, I would neither complain about such things nor would I cease visiting the dining facility.

There is a dual purpose to my writing. Always provide the party you are doing business with your genuine complaints, to the greatest extent possible. Secondly, always seek customer complaints, even more than the accolades. It always hurts more to hear the complaints, but the complaints just might help your business succeed.

And then, of course, you have businesses that provide no way for customers to complain. Can these businesses really expect to succeed for long? There was a talk show host who had a name for a department in such businesses. He called it the “customer no-service” department.

My best guess is likely also your best guess as to why. Obviously, he was tired of getting the runaround from some company that did not value customer complaints. Somehow, I suspect most of those reading this know exactly what I mean. Certainly, if you are half the age I am, you have likely had experience with a customer no-service department.

If so, I would welcome your short, polite comments. In fact, I’d love to see a few hundred of your comments. But please keep them G-rated.