The Right Way to Get a Complaint Resolved

Kiplinger lists what they call "the right way to get a complaint resolved" as follows:

1. Be prepared. Have documents, such as receipts, contracts, etc., to prove that you purchased a product or received a service. Know what type of resolution you would accept: replacement item, money back, store credit.

2. Contact the seller, service provider or manufacturer. Explain the problem politely. If that person doesn't resolve the problem to your satisfaction, ask to speak to that person's supervisor.

3. Put it in writing. If the merchant doesn't resolve your complaint, write a letter with your name, address, phone number and brief statement of the problem and what you've already done to resolve it. Tell the merchant or service provider what you want done and give a reasonable time period for a response. Keep copies of all correspondence.

4. Get help from the government or nonprofit agency.
 
5. Go to court.

IMO, this is very good advice. Let me add the following comments:

1. It's very important to document everything and to have your facts straight. I often write down what happened when (with as much detail as possible) ahead of time to be sure I communicate everything and don't forget something.

2. ALWAYS know how you would like the situation resolved. When I recently took the mower back to Home Depot, I knew I wanted my money back (since I was concerned about that model and wanted to do some more research.) So when they asked me if I wanted a replacement, I said I preferred my money back. Then when the department manager arrived he suggested we step out of the customer service line and he could check out the mower, but I said I wanted a refund. True to their word, they gave me one, but the outcome could have been different if I hadn't known what I wanted.

3. I usually start with the retailer where I bought the item if it was a recent purchase. For example, I could have contacted Toro directly with my mower issue, but what's the point? I probably would have gotten a big run-around even if I would have been able to find the right person to handle my issue. Instead, I was able to deal with a person at a local Home Depot and they handled the issue for me. Now they can deal with Toro (and they are in a much better position to do so btw).

Some items will even include a sheet of paper that says something like, "If you have a problem with this item, please contact us (the manufacturer). Do NOT return the item to the store." I totally ignore these. Any decent store will make it right almost immediately and IMO dealing with manufacturers is both spotty and a hassle.

4. It does pay to escalate things if need be. Sometimes lower-level workers/managers don't see the "big picture", just say "no" automatically, and hope you go away. Managers, district managers, and people at the corporate office (if you can find the right contact) are often more understanding. Yes, it can be tough to locate these people, but increasingly major companies have online contacts via Facebook, Twitter, etc. that you can reach out to and establish contact with. This is how I've dealt with Comcast. Granted, it's been less than ideal, but it would have been impossible without the online connections.

5. When having service issues that you can't get resolved (and in particular pricing-related problems), it helps to have information from competitors. If you can show that a competitor has a better price, better service, etc., companies all of a sudden become much more flexible.

6. I'm skeptical about getting help from a government or non-profit agency. Anyone used either of these to resolve a consumer issue?

7. I would go to court only in an extreme case -- and one with a good amount of money involved. Not worth it otherwise.

How about you? Do you have any tips for getting consumer issues resolved?

Comments

[Money Reasons]

I found that when I asked for a refund in a firm no nonsense kind of matter I get much better results.

The key to not to be too hard in your request nor to easy! I've seen some people swear at the customer rep, but that's too harsh for me.

Personally, I've been too mild about it when I was younger, and they would brush me aside. Only when one of my parents would come with me and do the talking did they do the refund.

It's definitely an art form unless you are returning the merchandise to a place like Walmart or Best Buy.

Also, know the return policy before making your purchase!

[PMT]

Definitely keep receipts and records especially for big purchase. Once had a financing mistake where they placed me on a 1 year 0% interest instead of 4 years at 0% interest. I didn't find out until nearly a year after the purchase. Without the original paperwork I never would have been able to prove my case and get it changed.

Also when mailing a letter always send certified with receipt confirmation. That way the business can't say "I never got it." This as certainly saved me a few times.

[D Slingsby]

I've never had a problem returning anything ever. Maybe cause I've always followed the "ALWAYS know how you would like the situation resolved." and I'm usually fine with store credit.

As for writing a letter, my recommendation is to send it to the corporate office and address it to the CEO. I had a really bad delivery service from Sears once so I sent a letter with specific dates and names of customer service reps that were rude and they sent me a $25 gift card. And after we left ATT Uverse to go to Time Warner Cable I sent a letter to ATT to tell them why we left and they sent us a check for $15. I don't mess around. I go straight to the top.

[sunil]

spot on advice. document retention, clear (objective) communication and follow up is key. i have filed several complaints against airlines - many of them have led to small claims court, where i have won each and every time. a specific methodology has helped me each time, one that is very much consistent with this blog post.

[Claire]

I think also that staying calm and being clear and firm, but polite are key. I recently had a terrible re-fi experience with a Wells Fargo agent. The online customer satisfaction survey came through before I got round to actually calling and complaining myself, so I gave some input on the survey and asked them to call me. It took a few weeks, but I got a call where I explained myself and what had happened to a lady.

A couple of days ago I received a voicemail from the office of the president of Wells Fargo, and today a phone call from the lady who originally called telling me that they were going to refund me my $500 application fee - which I actually hadn't even asked for.