Customer Complaints

“The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it.”-Henry David Thoreau

Getting money or satisfaction out of a company is like David vs. Goliath or getting blood from a turnip. You get put on hold, disconnected, rudely treated by customer service or just plain ignored. Here are some ideas to help.

Step 1: When you need to challenge a charge, fix an error, return a defective product, or reject shoddy workmanship, keep a diary of each and every phone call and letter. Record the date, time, and whom you talked with (the department or name) and for how long. What you said, how they replied and any “promises” they made. Ask to speak with managers.

If this route fails, proceed to step 2: the Executive Email Carpet Bomb (EECB). Finding contact information for executives at most companies can be difficult to impossible. Fortunately one mission of the Cosumerist.com is to collect and publish the names of executives and how to reach them. Look for the search box in the black menu bar and type the name of the company you need. I typed “Sears” and the top article was Contact Sears Executive Customer Service. At this stage do NOT write an angry letter. Calm down and write a polite letter stating what you want and what’s happened according the diary you’ve kept.

For example, “Dear Sir, I’ve been a happy customer of X for 20 years and have never had a problem until this year. I purchased TheAmazingToy and it broke the moment my child opened the box. I tried to return it on Feb 23 at your MyTown store but the representative said the product was discontinued and no refunds were allowed. I called customer service the same day but after being transferred to three different departments I was disconnected. I called again the next day with the same results.
My child is broken hearted over the broken toy. If you no longer have this toy in your warehouses, it would really help us to obtain a refund or store credit of the $200 I spent so I can buy my child a different toy.
Regards,
YourName
Your phone and email (very important so someone can reach you)”

Here is a letter template that may help. http://consumerist.com/consumer/howto/howto-draft-a-good-complaint-letter-205899.php

Here's an example of a letter to Chase Credit Cards that got results
http://consumerist.com/5315206/nice-letter-gets-2999-apr-down-to-1224

Step 3. If the executives in charge say no, then get creative and take the problem public. Call your local news stations- most have a Fraud reporter who reports on cases where someone feels they’ve been taken advantage of.

I read about the owner of a Hummer who was upset that his vehicle had numerous problems, but since the warranty had just expired, he was responsible for all repair costs. In response he had the side of his Hummer professional lettered saying “Don’t buy a Hummer. After only X,000 miles this lemon has the following problems…” He then parked his car in front of the Hummer dealership. They objected but the police refused to tow the car since it was legally parked on a public street. The dealer agreed to make a deal.

Canadian folksinger, Dave Carroll, alleges that United Air Lines broke his custom made, $3,500 Taylor guitar and refused to pair for repairs. After nine months and an official “no”, he asked himself, “What would Michael Moore do?” He decided to write three songs about the incident. Song 1, a charming video called “United Breaks Guitars” was put on YouTube July 6 and quickly reached over 1 million viewers. Since the video's boom in popularity, Carroll has released a statement saying United “has generously, but late, offered some compensation.” However Carroll is “no longer looking for compensation,” and would rather see the money go “to a charity of their choice.” He still has two songs to publish for an eager public.

Bottom Line

Part of dealing with companies is deciding exactly what you want and what you’ll settle for. Will you settle for a replacement item, a full refund, store credit, air miles, a coupon or an apology? Flexibility helps. Note that Dave Carroll decided to forego compensation but in exchange has gained fame online, in news articles, blogs, and TV interviews. His anti-United songs are boosting his popularity and his career.

Keep in mind also that your time is worth money. Don’t spend hours, days, and weeks trying to get back $10.

Above all, be honest. Don’t exaggerate or stretch your claim. One falsehood exposed will completely destroy your case with the company and the public.