46 Complaint Management Excellence Importantly, each complainant's circumstance will be different and I would caution organizations against applying a blanket approach to redress. The complaint handler needs to assess how the customer has been affected by the problem from both an economic and an emotional point of view. Best practice is to ask the customer what would resolve the complaint for them. It could be that a simple apology and admission of error may be all that they are looking for. Key is to treat each customer as an individual and to apply redress fairly. I have worked with organizations where those who shout loudest get the highest level of financial payment as a result of a complaint. This is not fair on other customers who may not have the same power and influence. Likewise, I have seen firms that attempt to negotiate with customers around the levels of financial redress they will give. They typically start at a low offer and only increase this if the customer will not accept it. Again negotia- tion is not an option if you want to treat your customers honestly and fairly, and I strongly recommend avoiding this approach.