E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSSMost people who have a complaint don’t really push for a solution. They make a quick phone call or send an email, but if they get the brush-off, they’re done.
The fact is, if you want to get your problem solved, you need to speak up and stand your ground until the company makes you happy.
“Yes, it’s the squeaky-wheel system of customer service,” said Amy Schmitz, a law professor at the University of Colorado. Her study “Access to Consumer Remedies in the Squeaky-Wheel System” was published in the Pepperdine Law Review.
Schmitz believes some companies would rather give customers the runaround than deal with their complaint.
“It appears deliberate,” she told me. “If they know they can save money by only providing remedies to those who are most persistent, businesses may be able to maximize their profits and elude legitimate complaints.”
If you know how to complain and are willing to be a squeaky wheel, you’re more likely to be successful.
“Don’t give up,” she said. “Otherwise you will be ignored.”
To find out how to complain, I spoke with Ruth Susswein at Consumer Action. They’ve published a step-by-step booklet on how to get results when you complain. Here are the highlights of our conversation:
Q: What are the most important things to remember when we’re going to complain?
A: Be calm, be firm and be concise. Decide what you’re looking for. What’s the outcome you want? Do you want your money back? Do you want a new product? Or do you just want to vent and get an apology?
I’ve seen complaint letters that go on and on about the problem, but never explain what the customer is looking for. Figure out what you want. Briefly state the problem and what you expect the solution to be.
Q: You say it’s important to complain right away. Why does that matter?
A: There are certain kinds of complaints that have deadlines attached to them. For example, you have 60 days after you receive a credit card statement with a charge on it that you intend to dispute, to write a complaint letter to the credit card company. There’s often a time limit for a health insurance appeal. If there’s a deadline related to your complaint, don’t miss it.
Q: Is there a right forum to complain? How do you know whether to use the customer service line, write a letter or send an email? How do you decide where to begin?
A: Sometimes it doesn’t matter. It all depends on the type of complaint. Ultimately, you want your complaint in writing. You can start calling the company, but you need to follow-up in writing. You want some proof that you made that complaint and the only way to do that is by putting it in writing.
Q: What about records that document your complaint?
A: The more records you have, the better. If you have proof, provide copies of that proof to help make your case. Never send originals. So for example, if you have a receipt that shows when you bought the item and how much you paid for it, send a copy with your complaint letter.
Q: What if you explain the problem, document your case and you still get turned down?
A: Then you need to escalate; take your problem to the next level. It may be the CEO of a company; it may be that you have to turn to a regulator, a government agency that oversees this kind of industry. There are lots of places to turn. No matter what sort of complaint you have, there’s probably a government agency to turn to if your complaint is unresolved.
Q: Odds are the CEO won’t read your letter, but that’s not the point, right?
A: Right. Someone in the CEO’s office is going to take it seriously and will direct your complaint to someone who hopefully can resolve it swiftly.
Q: So your advice is: if I have what I believe to be a legitimate complaint and I’m being ignored, don’t give up.
A: Absolutely! Go after it again and again. In the case of a health insurance claim, you may have to re-appeal a decision. You need to be persistent, but also patient, calm and in control. The way to get the best results is to stay calm.
Herb Weisbaum is The ConsumerMan. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter or visit The ConsumerMan website.
Do you have a success story about complaining and getting good customer service? Share your story in the comment field.
Leave a Comment:
Run around is right, phone IVR filtering too much time.
Customer service is no longer important to most companies.
State and Federal consumer protection via primarily complaints
perfrom poorly and more to the side of the companies then consumers.
TV/FP don't have long enough life expectancy as prior generations. Many electronic portable devices don't perform as advertised and are generally waste wear in 2-5 years.
Profits at all costs - Customer is important RIGHT.... push move aside to everything or than money saving PERIOD
Here's something you forgot to mention. Don't be a perpetual complainer! In my line of work, we sometimes have the same customers coming in complaining about little knit picky things every week or every other week. For example, Is your cell phone going to drop a call every once and a while? Yes. Can I exchange it every time it does? NO! And if you are going to run to the store and complain about it every time it does, when you have a legitimate problem, I'm not going to believe you. Remember the story about the boy who cried wolf?
If every company resolved every complaint they ever received, they'd either go out of business or would have to significantly raise prices. By only responding to complaints that are made firmly (as suggested in the article), companies have a de facto filtering process to handle real complaints.
Having worked in customer service, I have a few suggestions:
Before you pick up the phone, practice phrasing your inquiry in 25 words or less. Begin with, "I have a question regarding . . ." which sets a less-confrontational tone than "I have a problem". Ask "Can you help me?" Sometimes you've reached someone who can't and will need to be transferred. Do not prattle on with your name, address and account information. You'll be asked for this information as it's needed.
If you're dissatisfied with an initial contact, politley state, "I know you've tried your best to resolve this, but is there anyone else in your department I can speak to? " This is better than requesting the supervisor's supervisor who might be in a foul mood. Hint: if you say, "Is there an angel of mercy looking over your shoulder that can help me?" you might be transferred to the boss who's having a good day and is likely to take immediate action.
You might save much time and grief in the process and won't have to send letters and documentation to the CEO,
Download the booklet and follow the instructions. I fought a company for eighteen months. They said there was nothing they could do, it would take an act of congress to change legislation. I actually was working with the labor board and my congressman when the company offered exactly what I had requested in settlement - no act of congress required. Giving up is NOT an option.
I actually wrote a book on this subject outlining many similar thoughts and some other creative ideas not mentioned here. It was called: Let the Seller Beware, The Consumers Complete Guide to Getting Your Money's Worth, in 1990. Too bad it is out of print. The most important elements are to know what resolution you want and to not ask for more than you deserve. Clarity brevity and common sense generate success.
Most depressing life lesson I've learned.
These statements are true, PLUS my suggestion, being the supervisor in PR for 17 years now, don't yell and use profanity! It won't be taken as seriously as those who complain with a calm, kinder voice. Also don't "shoot the messenger". Being perfectly honest, I am way less inclined to help the person who swears at me than I am the person who was kind and respectful. And let's face it, we in PR are your connection to getting the resolution you want. If you want it, ask for it NICELY!!!
Complaints go directly into the trash. I'm not here to hear your complaints. If you find something that needs to be improved, I expect you to address it with a well thought-out solution. Otherwise all you want to do is dump your issue one me. I don't think so.
Cool. I'd love to know who you are, so I can be sure to know never to do business with you. Unless you're joking, in which case: Oh, nice one!
As with any other kind of claim, initiate it as quickly as possible. Any delays in lodging a complaint could easily be used against you as an argument for complacency, and you may find yourself having to explain why you waited so long to tell anyone of your dissatisfaction.
Also important, the less overall frustration you show, the better, especially if the people handling your claim attempt to brush you off. Anyone handling claims or customer service is always instructed to first try to brush you off or offer you some other low-cost non-personalized cookie-cutter way of addressing your complaint, such as a coupon for store credit, etc. A raised voice, name-calling, or otherwise emotional outburst can easily be used against you to argue your rationale for your claim is compromised by your own emotions, thus invalidating it. Such an outburst can also easily intimidate the rep you are speaking with, who, mind you, has probably done no wrong, consequently making him/her less likely to work with you if you need to escalate your issue beyond someone who answers the phone.
Finally, be prepared to have to abandon the hotline phone call for another means of making your claim, even if you don't lose your cool. Many companies' hotline service centers actually have policies forbidding their phone reps from escalating many problems to their superiors, particularly if you're the one asking to escalate. These policies are often put into place on purpose to try and corral upset customers into accepting the low-cost, cookie-cutter store credit coupons, et. al. Not only are they cheap, but in order to get any use out of them, you have to shop again at that merchant.
At the end of the day, unless the resolution you seek is some sort of store credit or a possible refund in the case of not receiving the product/service as agreed and not wanting it anymore, you will probably have to put it in writing. Further if you want it individually addressed, you will probably have to mail it somewhere higher up than the standard customer service center, as they typically just log complaints (and perhaps offer you an apology and that cookie-cutter store credit) and only really further address them as an aggregate of many complaints from many people if the company itself decides it needs to do so for its own interests.
People in general are pretty stupid and are even stupider with their money... They'll throw down tons of money on something without a lick of research and they never challenge companies to put out better products. They also just let reviewers form their opinions without coming up with their own opinion. This is why someone that's smart will get what they want. Companies are used to dealing with stupid people most of the time.
Complainers are so pervasive in American society that NOBODY listens to them or cares what they have to say. Squeaky wheels should be sent to landfill with the rest of the trash. So on the whole, this article is worthless flotsam. ©2013
Beware the Corporate Personhood -
I'm telling you now, because of corporate personhood, many businesses are adopting the attitude to tell consumers to go pound sand if complaints are filed. Because of this, consumers must act differently than we used to 50 years ago when it was assumed that most businesses could be trusted with at least some decorum and decency. That is no longer the norm, America. Time to get up to 2013 and the high technology era.
1. Record - Businesses record your phone call - so should you to protect yourself when dealing with any big-ticket purchase. They have an arsenal of a legal team at their disposal - you don't. But, you have to do this according to your state's laws on recording - check it. Also, if it is something pertaining to a situation that may fall under the Patriot Act - use it and consult with your attorney. Key is - if that person corporate can record for "quality control" so can you;
2. Witnesses v Paper - are not always regarded with the same emphasis as they once were - judges still like to see material evidence - keep your receipts and demand receipts from every person you have a moderate financial transaction with. Keep records about the people you trade large sums of money with for particular services or purchase of items. In this day and time - many agencies use fictitious names, so Clerk "Barbara" might not be her real name. Ask for an employee identification number. If you do not get it over the phone, say nothing more until you do. You have legal rights;
3. Defend your money - It's ok to defend every dollar you spend and to expect something for something in return. Stop letting corporate off the hook when they cheat you out of a dollar or even less - businesses count on this discrepancy that most people will not return to get their money if they are overcharged - be honest. If it is a sizeable sum and you have the evidence to show - make copies. Valid documentation prevails as a trail of evidence. If you lie to a judge, they usually know. Be polite, professional, but assert your point without a temper. Keep decorum and be unafraid to debate if it is something worth defending. Stay within the confines of the law, but defend what is yours. Every dime we lose is a dime our children do not have for their future security. Businesses that defraud you defraud your children. Not cool;
4. File a complaint with Consumer Protection. They will follow up with the business very well and in an organized, professional manner. Keep your complaint brief and to the point under 200 words if you can. Be sure to provide details. The public can review your complaint, so businesses like to avoid this;
5. Talk - still in 2013 nothing is more powerful than word of mouth. Talk, talk, talk, report, report, report. If the business is a reputable one that is negotiating, they will work hard to resolve the problem. Keep this to a minimum so that you are not going about the world defaming everyone you buy something from. But, use your common sense and sound judgment. There are times to use this arsenal of rights.
Consumers were once "always right" and this wasn't a bad idea as policy. Any errors in that could still be corrected if the customer really wasn't right.
People cannot reasonably fight against an entire corporation. We have a United States Supreme Court Justice that I differ with on Equal Protection clause. Justice Scalia thinks that the Constitution is dead. He's wrong! Study and learn your civil rights and use them - apply them.
Learn to be strong consumers again. The US needs good customers with good businesses. Both make a happier society when all parties are pleased with the resulting agreement to patronize or provide a product.
Decency knows no bounds.
Funny that this is posted here, when there is no accountability for Newsvine staff. Guess I just need to locate the NBC CEO's contact info.
See... I remember when "customer satisfaction" actually meant something. I remember when retailers actually had some ethics. All this advice for cheated consumers?... write it down, folks. No one cares about customer service or honest business practices anymore. Everything is biased toward the generation of profit. I agree with the suggestions that consumers should research their purchase and follow through but also agree that the onus of customer satisfaction should be on the retailer and service operator rather than the customer. We're all supposed to bow our heads and allow ourselves to be "screwed" by retailers or be labeled "whiners". Profit is God in America and until that changes, buyer beware!!
Don't just be squeaky - know to whom in the company you should squeak. I was executor of my mother's will and noticed she hadn't paid a $300 utility bill - lost in the shuffle as she was losing her fight with cancer. I paid it, but the utility, apparently before my payment registered on some computer, sold the bill to a collection agency. The collection agency, even when the utility arranged a 3-way call to resolve the issue, wouldn't take no for an answer and I was bothered with calls late at night. As a last resort, I looked up the collection agency online, found the V.P. in charge of operations, and politely hinted I was ready to seek legal action if there was no way to resolve this - which I saw as a problem between the collection agency and the utility. Within two days I received a phone call from an assistant to the V.P. and all was resolved to my satisfaction in a minute.