# Can a complaint create a better customer experience?

Source URL: https://www.gavinscott.me/blog/can-complaint-create-better-customer-experience-gavin-scott-dveae/

Let’s be honest, complaints aren’t usually anyone’s favourite part of Customer Service. But what if we’ve been looking at them the wrong way?

All newsletter editions & articles
The Gold Dust Standard ·
9 September 2026
Can a complaint create a better customer experience?
Originally published in
The Gold Dust Standard on LinkedIn
.
Let’s be honest,
complaints aren’t usually anyone’s favourite part of Customer Service.
But what if we’ve been looking at them the wrong way?
I recently asked Heads of Customer Service and Customer Experience a simple question:
Can a well-handled complaint actually create a better customer experience than if nothing had gone wrong?
And it sparked a much more interesting conversation because perhaps the real question isn’t whether complaints are good or bad, it’s
what happens next.
A customer who has never had a problem has never had to test your organisation but a customer who has a problem gets to see what you’re really made of.
Do you listen?
Do you take ownership?
Do you make it easy?
Do you communicate?
And, most importantly,
do you do what you said you would do?
Get those things right and something interesting can happen. A customer who started the conversation frustrated can finish it thinking:
“They actually cared.”
That doesn’t mean we should create problems just to demonstrate great service but it does mean every complaint is an opportunity to show the customer what your organisation stands for.
And that’s where Customer Service and CX leadership really matters because great service recovery isn’t just about fixing the immediate issue,
it’s about what the customer remembers afterwards.
So I’d love to know what you think.
Can a brilliantly handled complaint create a stronger customer relationship than if nothing had gone wrong in the first place?
👉
Listen to the conversation and hear the thinking behind this question
.
👉
And if you’re a Head of Customer Service or Customer Experience and would like to join me on the Customer Service Gold Dust Podcast, you can register your interest
here
.
What’s your experience?
Have you ever seen a customer become more loyal because of how their complaint was handled?
First published in The Gold Dust Standard.
Read or join the conversation on LinkedIn
.
Keep reading.
Great Customer Conversations Start With Listening
Great customer service isn't just about solving the problem.
Read more
Is Personalisation the Difference Between Good and Great CX?
That’s why personalisation can have such a powerful impact on Customer Experience.
Read more
Put these ideas to work with your team.
Explore
customer service workshops
for practical team learning, or
consulting
to work through your wider customer experience.
Let’s talk about your customer experience.
Tell Gavin about your team, your event or the challenge you’re working on.
Contact Gavin
Book a discovery call

## Links

- [All newsletter editions & articles](https://www.gavinscott.me/blog/)
- [The Gold Dust Standard on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/can-complaint-create-better-customer-experience-gavin-scott-dveae)
- [Listen to the conversation and hear the thinking behind this question](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/customer-service-gold-dust-podcast/id1553942522)
- [here](https://calendly.com/gavinscott/gavin-scott-discovery-call)
- [Read or join the conversation on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/can-complaint-create-better-customer-experience-gavin-scott-dveae)
- [Great Customer Conversations Start With Listening](https://www.gavinscott.me/blog/great-customer-conversations-start-listening-gavin-scott-fdxue/)
- [Read more](https://www.gavinscott.me/blog/great-customer-conversations-start-listening-gavin-scott-fdxue/)
- [Is Personalisation the Difference Between Good and Great CX?](https://www.gavinscott.me/blog/personalisation-difference-between-good-great-cx-gavin-scott-5evze/)
- [Read more](https://www.gavinscott.me/blog/personalisation-difference-between-good-great-cx-gavin-scott-5evze/)
- [customer service workshops](https://www.gavinscott.me/workshops/)
- [consulting](https://www.gavinscott.me/consulting/)
- [Contact Gavin](https://www.gavinscott.me/contact/)
- [Book a discovery call](https://calendly.com/gavinscott/30min)