Tell It To The Wall

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 4 January 2011)

Hızır Duman, who has operated a market in Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's Subayevleri neighborhood in Ankara
since 1996, has found a solution to having to listen to his
customers' complaints. He put a sign on the wall that reads
'Complaints listened to for a price, advice given.'

Duman says that the number of complaining people has
increased over the last year, saying 'since I have to listen to
these people anyway I might as well not do it for nothing.
I figured why not make some money from them if they
won't buy anything.' Duman said that men mostly complain
about harrassment from their wives and women whine
about the things they can't have. Also, Ankaragücü football
fans rail about the failings of the club's directors. As for the
price of complaining, Duman asks for 'whatever you're
willing to give' to listen to customers' whines but he
added that since he started charging complaints have de-
creased markedly.  He summarized thusly: 'people who see
the sign laugh until they realize I'm serious and then they
leave the store without complaining. I haven't made any
money from it yet but the number of whiners has dropped off.
So even if I don't make any money from it at least I don't
have to listen to complaints anymore.'