Mind the Gap.

A complaint reveals either:

A gap in your information leading to a decision or absence of decision, or

A gap in the complainant’s information or expectation.

You review the complaint and either change or affirm your decision with the information or after asking the complainant for more details, or

You fill the complainant’s information or expectation gap.

If the complainant challenges your response, you check whether their challenge reveals information gaps with them or you. If so, you address it as above.

If not, you respond that you’ve considered their response, and affirm your decision.

If the complainant challenges your response, you politely direct them either to your superior, or to your complaints process.

If you continue to engage with a complainant offering you no new information, you are training them that the price of getting what they want from you is one, two, three, fifteen, twenty emails, phone calls, or visits to reception.