The Hamper Technique

The evasive position for an organisation who's received a complaint.

The purpose of the hamper technique is to deliberately misinterpret a person's complaint in order to avoid acknowledging that something has gone wrong.

(Often used by companies, councils and government departments / services.)

1. I complained to the bicycle company because after I paid, they sent me a bike without peddles. They emailed straight back to say they were investigating my complaint that I had bought a banana from them and didn't like the taste. Two days later I got an "official" closed complaint letter which explained that they did not sell bananas so it they did not hold any responsibility for the taste of bananas. The Hamper Technique in Effect!

2. I contacted my local hospital for a copy of their complaints procedure after they stitched me back up with a pair of scissors left inside my stomach. Three weeks later, I was sent a summary of my complaint which stated that I'd complained about the number of stitches they used. (The Hamper Technique).