How To Complain Effectively ?

I’m not just a consumer – I’m a victim.  If I order a product, it is sure to arrive in the wrong colour, size or quantity.  If I hire people to do repair, they never arrive on the day scheduled.  If I owe a bill, the computer is bound to overcharge me. Therefore, in self-defense, I have developed the following consumer’s guide to complaining effectively.

The first step is getting organized.  I save all sales slips and original boxes.  Also, I keep a special file for warranty cards and appliance guarantees.  This file does not prevent a product from falling apart the day after the guarantee runs out.  One of the problems in our country is the shoddy workmanship that goes into many products.  However, these facts give me the ammunition I need to make a complaint.  I know the date of the purchase, the correct price (or service charge), where the item was purchased, and an exact description of the product, including model and serial numbers.  When I compose my letter of complaint, I find it is not necessary to exaggerate.  I just stick to the facts.

The next step is to send the complaint to the person who will get results quickly.  My experience has shown that the president of the company is the best person to contact.  I call the company to find out the president’s name and make sure I note the proper spelling.  Then I write directly to that person, and I usually get prompt action.  For example, the head of AMF arranged to replace my son’s ten-speed “lemon” when it fell apart piece by piece in less than a year.  Another time, the president of a Philadelphia department store finally had a twenty-dollar overcharge on my bill corrected after I had spent three months arguing uselessly with a computer.

If I get no response to a written complaint within ten days, I follow through with a personal telephone call.  When I had a new bathtub installed a few years ago, the plumber left a gritty black substance on the bottom of the tub.  No amount of scrubbing could remove it.  I tried every cleanser on the supermarket shelf, but I still had a dirty tub.  The plumber shrugged off my complaints and said to try Comet.  The manufacturer never answered my letter.  Finally I made a personal call to the president of the firm.  Within days, a well-dressed executive showed up at my door, in a business suit, white shirt, striped tie and rubber gloves, he cleaned the tub.  Before he left, he scolded in an angry voice: “You didn’t have to call the president.”  The point is, I did have to call the president.  No one cared enough to solve the problem.

Therefore, my advice to consumers is to keep accurate records, and when you have to complain, go right to the top.  It has always worked for me. (Summarise the main points again)