Complainers Prosper, And So Can You
‘Tis a truth universally acknowledged that those that complain, win. Maybe not in the popularty stakes, but certainly when it comes to consumer rights, healthcare and having your food served warm. And when you put that list together, who really wants to be all that popular anyway? Inspired by Angela Self, here are some ways to complain, stay nice and get your money’s worth.
Gather Evidence
Just saying it does not make it true. Make sure you are clear on what your complaint is, and what you would ideally like to gain from the whole process. Write down names, times and dates. This Holy Trinity of consumer rights will serve you well. Whether it’s as trivial as a broken phone or a complaint of a wholly serious manner, writing down every person you talk to, what they say and when they said it will give you a lot of artillery when the next person tries to stymie you. Reading the fine print helps to, and you can practice your Erin Brokovich action into the bargain.
Go To The Right Person
The people sitting right behind the desk are generally well-meaning people, but often they’re just trying to get through uni or save for a holiday or just get through their nine-to-five. They do not have the authority to issue you with a refund, and they will sometimes do everything in their power to make it as hard as possible. Often, by the time you talk to the person with some authority, the refund appears in the space of five minutes because they know it isn’t a good long-term customer strategy to alienate every one who comes their way There’s no need to be aggressive, just ask for the person in charge. There’s no point yelling at someone who couldn’t fix it for you, even if they wanted to.
Get It In Writing
Always ask for them to email confirmation of your discussion, and it’s eventual outcome. Just because they say it, doesn’t mean the next person will believe you. An email, proving your argument, is like manna from heaven in these situations.
Use Your Plastic
If you are someone who purchases with plastic, you can get your credit company to do battle for you. It certainly would be helpful to have a massive conglomerate knocking their weight around, as opposed to me, attempting to sound business-like and coming off more like a ten year old on a power trip instead.
Have Patience
These are situations sent to try us. The obfuscation, confusion and frustration that comes with doing battle over a consumer issue cannot be exaggerated. The key is to stay patient. Stay polite, stay reasonable. People are much more likely to help you should you not be yelling down the phone at them. In the same breath, don’t give up at the first hurdle. Companies manage to weasel out of their part of consumer bargains all the time because they make it too time-consuming and difficult for consumers to raise complaints and have those complaints solved. Telstra is the ultimate example in this tactic. Don’t let them get away with stalling you- you’ve paid good, hard-earned money for the product or service. You’ve upheld your side of the consumer bargain. Now it’s time to make sure they uphold theirs.
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