Smart businesses regard complaints from customers as

A) free consulting reports from the field.
B) normal and therefore ignore them.
C) a reason to avoid social media.
D) appropriate to handle via phone only.

Smart businesses view customer complaints as valuable feedback or "free consulting reports from the field," because they offer direct insights into potential issues or areas for improvement in products or services. This perspective allows businesses to address and rectify problems, thereby enhancing customer satisfaction and potentially improving their offerings. Ignoring complaints, avoiding social media, or limiting responses to phone calls only are not considered effective strategies for leveraging the constructive feedback that complaints can provide.