Do you tell other business owners when you get bad service from their employees?

I had a situation where I was trying to make a big purchase from my usual vendor. The sales rep wasn’t getting back to me in a timely way, so I ended up buying from a competitor. The rep wasn’t rude, but just unresponsive.

Would you reach out to the business owner or manager to let them know? I used to run a business, and I would have wanted to hear about any issues so I could fix them. But now, I’m not sure if I should just move on. What do you think?

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It depends on the situation. In some cases, I would let the owner know. I’ve also noticed a lot of businesses don’t check their websites. For example, I couldn’t order from a site because it was broken, and two months later, it was still down. How can they keep running a business when I can’t even buy from them?

@Fenix
If they haven’t fixed the website in two months, they might not want to waste money fixing it, especially if it was built by someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing.

@Fenix
Maybe they’re just money laundering. They don’t need your business for that.

Lior said:
@Fenix
Maybe they’re just money laundering. They don’t need your business for that.

Or they could be involved in Satan worship.

Eye roll

Definitely, I’d want to know so I could fix it. If it was me, I’d appreciate that feedback, even if I didn’t know what to do with it right away.

I would usually tell an owner about a bad experience, just to help them out. I never make it sound like I’m complaining or want anything. I just say, ‘hey, this happened,’ and leave it at that. Most of the time, owners appreciate it. But sometimes, you run into someone whose ego makes them take feedback the wrong way.

I’d definitely tell the owner. I had an employee who was acting really badly, but I had no proof until another business owner told me what they saw. That information helped me take action before things got worse. It saved me a lot of trouble and money. So yes, definitely speak up, but keep it brief and to the point.

If I know the owner well enough, I’d let them know.

I’d probably tell them, especially if I liked the business. It’s easy to assume they don’t know about the issue, and giving feedback could help them improve. But I get why you might just move on sometimes.

I’d definitely want to know if one of my reps was losing customers. It’s important to get that kind of feedback.

If it’s a small business, I’d definitely tell the owner. A bad employee can cost a business a lot of sales. But if it’s a big chain, it’s probably not worth it – you’ll just get a generic reply and maybe a gift card.

I’d want to know for sure.

I’d appreciate a heads up, especially if it meant I could get a second chance at your business.

I try not to be too hard on people since I’ve been on the other end, but if something needs to be said, I’ll say it.

I’ll let them know, but I try to do it in a way that doesn’t seem like I want something in return. I’ll say, ‘Hey, just so you know, I had an issue,’ but I’m not asking for anything.

I wouldn’t unless they were doing something really wrong or scamming me. If they’re just rude, I’m not going to try to get them fired. People have bad days, and I don’t know what they were dealing with before I showed up.

It depends on how well I know them. If I know them well enough, I’ll let them know there was an issue so they can fix it.

Yes, I’ve done it twice recently. Once, it was rude service at a place where I get my plane serviced. I gave the employee a pass at first, but when it happened again, I had enough. The manager told me I wasn’t the only one who complained. The second time, it was an unresponsive insurance agent.