The Customer Is Not Always Right. But the Customer Deserves to Be Heard: Is Sri Lanka Losing the Art of Customer Service?
A Professional Perspective on Customer Service, Complaint Management and Organisational Accountability
I have observed something concerning in the way some organisations in Sri Lanka handle customer complaints.
When a customer makes a complaint, the first response should be to listen, understand and find a solution.
Unfortunately, in many customer interactions, the experience can be quite different.
Instead of accepting the concern, some organisations appear more interested in defending themselves, questioning the customer or explaining why the organisation is not responsible.
Is this really customer service?
1. The problem begins when a customer makes a complaint
Let me highlight a few familiar situations.
Telephone customer service
You call an organisation to report a problem.
The representative asks you to hold the line. You wait. Sometimes you are transferred to another department, asked to explain everything again or, in an unsatisfactory experience, the call ends without a proper resolution.
Email complaints
You send a detailed email explaining what happened.
Instead of receiving a clear written response, you receive a telephone call. While a telephone conversation can be useful, it should not replace a proper written response when the customer has chosen to communicate by email.
The language of apologies
Consider this commonly used expression:
“We regret the inconvenience you may have experienced.”
Why say “may have experienced” when the customer has already explained the problem?
A more direct and empathetic response would be:
“We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused. We understand your concern and will investigate the matter immediately.”
The difference may appear small. However, it communicates a completely different attitude.
2. Customer service is not about defending the organisation
I would like to make one point very clear.
The customer is not always right. Customers can misunderstand procedures, make incorrect assumptions or sometimes raise unreasonable requests.
However, this does not give an organisation the right to dismiss, embarrass or argue with a customer.
A professional customer service representative should remain calm, listen carefully and explain the situation respectfully.
Even when the organisation is not responsible, the customer deserves an explanation.
The objective should be to resolve the issue, not to win an argument.
3. What do the statistics tell us?
This is not simply a matter of personal opinion. Customer experience has measurable business consequences.
Consider these findings:
- Sri Lankan tourism: The Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority’s 2024–2025 inbound and outbound tourist survey reported that 72.13% of respondents rated the general welcome and hospitality they received as excellent. This is an important strength that Sri Lanka should protect and develop.
- Customer loyalty: Research published by Zoom reports that 59% of surveyed consumers would consider switching to a competitor after two negative customer support experiences.
- Service resolution: A Gartner survey involving 5,728 customers found that only 14% of customer service issues were fully resolved through self-service channels.
- Sri Lankan hospitality research: A study of 376 respondents examining service quality in Sri Lankan hotels identified assurance, empathy, reliability, responsiveness and tangibility as important dimensions of customer satisfaction.
These figures demonstrate an important distinction: attracting customers and providing a pleasant first experience are not enough. Organisations must also be capable of resolving problems when things go wrong.
Customer service is an ongoing responsibility, not simply a department or a telephone number.
4. Seven situations that demonstrate how customer service should work
The following are illustrative situations, not allegations against particular Sri Lankan organisations.
Case Study 1 – A hotel guest experiences poor service
A guest complains that the room was not properly prepared.
A defensive response: “This is not normally a problem in our hotel.”
A professional response: “We sincerely apologise. We will arrange another room or immediately correct the problem. We would also like to offer you a complimentary dinner as a gesture of goodwill.”
Case Study 2 – A bank makes an administrative error
A customer identifies an incorrect transaction or an unexplained charge.
The bank should acknowledge the complaint, check the records, provide a reference number and communicate the expected resolution time.
Customers should not have to make repeated visits simply to obtain an update.
Case Study 3 – A telecommunications company fails to resolve an issue
A customer repeatedly reports an internet or telephone service interruption.
Instead of asking the customer to restart the device on every call, the organisation should examine the complaint history, identify the underlying issue and provide a realistic solution.
Case Study 4 – An airline or travel company changes a booking
A passenger experiences an unexpected booking change.
The representative should explain the available alternatives, applicable conditions and refund or rebooking procedures.
The customer should not be treated as responsible for a problem created by the service provider.
Case Study 5 – A supermarket delivers the wrong product
A customer receives an incorrect item through an online order.
The solution is simple: acknowledge the mistake, arrange a replacement or refund and apologise.
There is no need to make the customer prove repeatedly that the wrong item was delivered.
Case Study 6 – A government office delays a service
A person visits an institution to obtain a document or complete an administrative process.
If there is a delay, the officer should explain the reason, identify what remains outstanding and provide a realistic timeline.
Public service should be based on respect, responsibility and clear communication.
Case Study 7 – A customer receives no response to an email complaint
A customer sends a detailed complaint and waits for a response.
The organisation should acknowledge receipt, assign the complaint to the appropriate officer and provide a written update.
A telephone call may support the process, but it should not become an excuse for avoiding a written response.
5. What should organisations do differently?
In my view, Sri Lankan organisations need to move from a complaint-defence culture towards a customer-recovery culture.
I suggest the following practical measures:
1. Accept responsibility where the organisation has made a mistake.
A simple acknowledgement can prevent unnecessary conflict.
2. Stop arguing with customers.
Employees should be trained to listen, remain calm and communicate professionally.
3. Respond to emails properly.
If a customer submits a written complaint, provide a meaningful written response. Do not simply telephone the customer and leave the matter undocumented.
4. Introduce clear complaint-resolution timelines.
Every complaint should have an acknowledgement, a responsible officer and an expected resolution date.
5. Empower customer service employees.
Employees should have reasonable authority to resolve minor problems without repeatedly seeking approval from several managers.
6. Offer appropriate service recovery.
Where justified, organisations can consider complimentary services, replacement products, vouchers, discounts or other reasonable gestures.
However, compensation should never replace correcting the actual problem.
7. Follow up after resolving the complaint.
Ask the customer whether the matter has been resolved satisfactorily. This is an important part of professional customer relationship management.
6. Customer service employees need more training
Sri Lanka has many organisations recruiting customer service representatives. However, recruitment alone does not create a professional customer service culture.
Training must go beyond teaching employees how to answer telephone calls, use computer systems or follow standard scripts.
They should learn:
- Communication and active listening.
- Emotional intelligence and patience.
- Complaint handling and conflict resolution.
- Professional telephone etiquette.
- Written communication and email management.
- Customer relationship management.
- Service recovery and problem-solving.
- Accountability and decision-making.
Most importantly, management must demonstrate the same behaviour it expects from frontline employees.
You cannot build a customer-focused organisation if management itself treats complaints as an inconvenience.
7. A complaint is an opportunity to win back a customer
Let us imagine a customer who has experienced a genuine service failure.
The organisation could respond in two ways.
Approach A:
Defend the organisation, question the customer, transfer the call and allow the complaint to remain unresolved.
Approach B:
“We accept that we did not meet your expectations. We sincerely apologise. We will correct the problem and take steps to prevent it from happening again. We would also appreciate the opportunity to welcome you back.”
Which organisation would you prefer to deal with again?
I believe the answer is obvious.
A sincere apology, followed by corrective action, can sometimes create more trust than a perfect transaction that never required a complaint.
My message to Sri Lankan organisations
Customer service is not simply about answering telephone calls or employing people under the designation of Customer Service Executive.
It is about organisational attitude, professional behaviour and accountability.
A customer who takes the time to complain is giving an organisation an opportunity to understand where it has failed.
Do not waste that opportunity by arguing.
Do not make customers regret providing feedback.
Do not treat a complaint as an attack on your organisation.
Instead, listen, acknowledge, investigate, correct and follow up.
If you have made a mistake, accept it.
If you cannot provide an immediate solution, explain why and give the customer a realistic timeline.
If the customer deserves compensation, consider an appropriate gesture of goodwill.
And above all, make sure the same mistake does not happen again.
Sri Lanka has a proud tradition of hospitality. We are known for our warmth, friendliness and willingness to welcome visitors.
However, hospitality should not end at the hotel reception. It should extend to banks, hospitals, supermarkets, government offices, telecommunications providers, airlines and every organisation that serves the public.
My final question is simple:
When was the last time an organisation in Sri Lanka genuinely impressed you by the way it handled your complaint?
I would be interested to hear both positive and negative experiences, provided the discussion remains respectful and constructive.
Sometimes, the best way to improve customer service is to start listening to customers.
By Dr. Dharshana Weerakoon, DBA (USA)
Global Tourism & Hospitality Strategist | Entrepreneur
Chairman – Global Cooperation Private Limited
Managing Director – International Hospitality Ventures Private Limited
© Dr. Dharshana Weerakoon, DBA (USA). All rights reserved.
Disclaimer: This article represents the author’s professional opinions and observations, informed by publicly available research, published industry statistics and professional experience across tourism, hospitality and business management in multiple countries. The illustrative case studies are hypothetical and are not intended to describe or identify any particular organisation, employee or individual. The article is published in good faith for educational, professional and public-awareness purposes. It does not constitute an allegation against any specific institution, legal advice or a formal assessment of the customer service performance of Sri Lankan organisations. Statistics are presented in the context of their respective studies and should not be interpreted as a comprehensive measurement of all Sri Lankan customer service experiences. All views are personal and analytical.
Further Reading: https://dharshanaweerakoon.com/destination-management-company-in-sri-lanka/
Further Reading: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/outside-of-education-7046073343568977920/
