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Complaining the Right Way
By Terri Cullen My father-in-law, Gerald, is an expert at solving problems--particularly if those problems involve a customer-service department. His most recent success? Convincing a hardware store manager to replace an $800 outdoor grill that stopped working more than a year after he bought it. (I wouldn't have even tried taking the grill back!)
My father-in-law is retired, so he has plenty of time to work his magic on customer-service agents. (He spent four hours in the hardware store convincing the store manager that replacing his grill was in the store's best interest.) And while he says he doesn't enjoy complaining, he does acknowledge a sense of satisfaction when he succeeds in having even minor problems put right. Worth My Time? I don't have that kind of time, and I generally find dealing with customer-service representatives frustrating to infuriating, whether my complaint is addressed to my satisfaction or not. So before I start the process of contacting a company to complain, I make sure the effort is worth my time. Spending a half hour on the phone with my insurance company and doctor's office to correct a $5 overcharge? Not worth the hassle. A $50 overcharge? I'll find the time.
Gerald says that the best way to approach a complaint is to make sure you have all the paperwork in hand before contacting the company. For example, he keeps sales receipts and warranties for major products, and notes the name of any salesperson who helped him with the purchase. If he's dealing with a call center, he keeps records of the time he called, the name of the person he spoke to, and the outcome of the call. (Many agents will refuse to give you a full name or employee ID number-note this in your records.) The more complex the problem, the more detailed his record-keeping. Before Gerald makes a complaint, he also makes sure he knows exactly what he wants done. Does he expect an exchange, or a refund? Does he want to make senior management aware of an ongoing problem? Or is he just frustrated by a problem that can't be fixed, and seeking to vent? Having a plan lets him quickly assess whether the person he's talking to can correct the problem, or whether he needs to speak with someone with more authority. Then, he starts at the bottom. If it's a product he bought from a salesperson, he goes to the store and seeks out that person. He introduces himself, reminds the salesperson that he or she helped him with a purchase, and offers thanks for the assistance. Then he asks for help once again, this time with his problem. Gerald is always polite and friendly, and calls the person by name frequently during the conversation-his goal is for the salesperson to want to help him. If that person can't fix the problem, he never says: "I want to speak to your manager." Instead, he asks the salesperson for help finding someone who can address his complaint. "It's a way to get to the person in charge, without being insulting," he says. Contacting customer service by telephone has become more tricky over the years. Companies have grown even more adept at giving angry consumers the brush-off. On a recent call to a software company's automated support line, I was offered five options, but seemingly no option to speak with a live person. Only after a long, confused pause was I offered that option. Clearly some companies hope consumers will become frustrated with the automated options and give up. Some online services can help consumers bypass automated systems. GetHuman.com has a database of companies' customer-service numbers along with directions on which numbers to press (or not to press) to get a human on the line. Bringo.com does the work for me-I enter my phone number, and the site calls customer service, then calls me back and connects me when it's reached a live person or when my call has been placed in a queue awaiting a customer-service agent. When Gerald isn't able to have a problem corrected to his satisfaction, he thanks the person for his or her time. It never hurts to end the conversation on a positive note, he says, in case he needs to make another complaint in the future. Say Thanks When I can't get satisfaction dealing with a sales manager or customer-service agent, I escalate the complaint by writing to the company. First, I need to get the name of someone with the power to help. I search for the company headquarters phone number online-or get it from the customer-service agent or salesperson-then call and ask the operator for the name and address of the head of the customer-service department. In my letter, I describe the complaint as directly as I can, detailing the product model or service, what was wrong with it, what I expect the company to do to correct the problem, and how quickly I expect the company to do it. I also include copies of any sales receipts, and any log kept of my calls. Then I include all of my contact information, and thank the individual by name for his or her assistance. Then I send the letter by certified mail, return receipt requested. When a company provides poor service, and refuses to do anything about it, I file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. Contractor-referral Web sites, such as Angie's List and ServiceMagic.com, also allow consumers to rate their contractors. Finally, as much as I find dealing with customer service annoying, I'm always exceedingly grateful when the process goes smoothly and a problem is quickly addressed. In that case, I make sure to let the person who helped me know how much I appreciate their service. In college, I worked for a direct-marketing company making cold calls, and experienced my share of belligerent responses. Knowing the vitriol customer-service agents have to put up with, I consider a pat on the back the least I can do for agents who've actually helped
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What's
his secret? He keeps good records, he's exceedingly patient and, above all, he's
polite.