More and more people are having problems interacting with other people, businesses, or technology. How you react to these issues could be an opportunity to differentiate yourself from the competition.

Everyone reacts in different ways to people telling them something is not right. Some corporations put people on a list if they return too many items even if there were problems with the products. Some companies tell customers to find another supplier even when it’s the company’s fault. There are even some places that just refund your money no matter what the circumstances.

I have always felt that people who have a problem also provide me an opportunity to find a solution. Many times their issue was something unique that I had never considered could go wrong.

Trader Joe’s has the perfect hybrid solution. They welcome feedback about their products and if the product does not meet your expectation they refund your money. They always ask why and see it as a learning experience. I see it as an example of why I am one of their loyal customers. It is almost as if they reward me for sharing my concerns.

My philosophy is to make it easy for a customer to complain. Then ensure the staff has the authority and ability to resolve every complaint.

The next step of the process should involve disseminating the finding to everyone and fix it ASAP so it does become a consistent issue. This could be a manufacturing or operational problem and allow the business to improve by coming up with a new approach. Reward the people who are proactive in making the business better for tomorrow.

Finally, a unique strategy that I have seen implemented by very few enterprises involves rewarding those that complain. Send them a reward card for their feedback. This will make them feel they are a valuable part of your business. One where progress is measured by those who help us see where we can improve.

So go ahead and try to help your favorite businesses they should appreciate it.