Mastering Mediation Tasks: Handling Customer Complaints

Mediation Task: Explaining a Customer Complaint

Task Description

You work in a gym office and have received a letter of complaint. Your task is to inform your manager about the issues raised by the customer. Do not copy the letter; explain the main problems in your own words.

Source Text: Letter of Complaint

Subject: Complaint about last Saturday’s Fitness Class

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with the fitness class I attended on Saturday at 10 a.m. I had booked the class one week in advance, but when I arrived, the receptionist could not find my name on the list. As a result, I waited for more than 15 minutes before finally being allowed to enter the studio.

Unfortunately, the situation inside the class was not any better. The room was overcrowded, and there were not enough mats for all participants. Additionally, the instructor arrived ten minutes late and did not apologise for the delay. The class itself felt rushed, and some exercises were not explained clearly.

I have always enjoyed the activities at your centre, which is why this experience was particularly disappointing. I kindly request an explanation and hope that measures will be taken to prevent similar issues in the future.

Yours faithfully,
Samantha Baker

Task Requirements

Explain the customer’s complaint to your manager. Summarize the main problems using clear, simple language (approximately 70 words) by addressing these points:

• Why is the customer unhappy?
• What happened before the class started?
• What problems occurred during the class?
• What does the customer want the sports centre to do?

Analysis of the Complaint

1. Why is the customer unhappy?

She is unhappy because the fitness class was poorly organized and did not meet her expectations.

2. What happened before the class started?

Although she had booked the class in advance, her name was missing from the list, causing a 15-minute delay.

3. What problems were there during the class?

The room was overcrowded, there were insufficient mats, and the instructor arrived late without apologizing, providing unclear instructions.

4. What does the customer want the sports centre to do?

She requests an explanation and expects the gym to implement measures to prevent these issues in the future.

Summary for Management

The customer is unhappy because her experience at last Saturday’s fitness class was poor. Even though she had booked in advance, the receptionist could not find her name, so she had to wait over 15 minutes to enter. During the class, the room was too crowded, there were not enough mats, and the instructor arrived late without apologizing. She wants an explanation and improvements to avoid this happening again.