How To Complain and Win! - My Personal Recipe

How To Complain and Win! - My Personal Recipe>From PreOwnedCars: The dot com with a heart. 7% goes to charity.Prime directive: Make sure your claim is reasonable! Otherwise,forget it.First thing: If you have a legitimate claim denied or a beefwith a company (my method can be applied to insurance companies,dealerships, bad fish, or whatever), prepare yourself for thelikelihood of frustrating conversations with people who eithercan’t think for themselves or have been told by their boss notto. If whoever takes your initial complaint is reasonable you'll bepleasantly surprised. If, however, what you’re being told soundslike it isn’t addressing your individual problem beware – theanswer you’re getting may be being read from a script. Companiesoften give their customer service reps pat, formulaic responsesthey must give and not stray from! Get a name!! The person who answers your call will often saytheir name, if at all, in an inaudible light-speed mumble. Takethe time to ask them to repeat their name if necessary. 3 timesif necessary. Be sure you write the name down. When you callnext time and the person answering doesn’t know what you’retalking about you want to be able to answer the inevitable “Whodid you talk to?”Always, always, always: Keep notes on not only who you talkedto, but when, the gist of the conversation, and the date andtime. These records may be invaluable (see below).If you expect BS you won’t get as upset when you get it. This isespecially true with the first person you talk to. By definitionthis is the low person on the totem pole. Anticipate they havezero decision-making authority and you’ll save lots of energyright at the get-go.Ask to speak to a supervisor. Do this sooner than later (seeabove). Don't make the "lateral move mistake!" As soon as youdetect you’re being stonewalled move up. Get a supervisor, thentheir supervisor, and on and on. Go as far as you have to go.You’re looking for a person who sounds reasonable, understandsyour problem, and can do something about it. Save time and energy, big-time. When you’re connected to a“supervisor,” make sure you haven’t been passed to someone onthe same level or, worse, some unrelated and useless department(happens a lot). As soon as you get a supervisor ask theirposition. Ask also, “Do you have authority to remedy mycomplaint?” If not, move on immediately.Present yourself as cool and confident. This sends the message“I know I’m right and you’re not going to wear me down.” Someindustries (did someone say "insurance companies?") count on yougetting frustrated and giving up. Don’t let them know if you areupset. Remember: If the facts are on your side you don’t have tosweat. They do. Depersonalize the issue. Don’t become what psychologists call“ego invested.”  It will help you to be polite and in control ifyou keep in mind you’re dealing with a human being who’s got ahard job, is almost certainly underpaid, and is very likelyworking for a jackass. Keep your eyes on the prize! Keep in mind your goal; you want toget your money or promised services – not to get angry at theperson you happen to be talking with.Don't be a wimp! Lots of people tell you to be nice because youcan catch more flies with honey than vinegar. I say don’t worryabout being “nice.” If they aren’t worried about your feelingsyou don’t have to worry about theirs. That doesn’t mean beingrude or obnoxious. It’s a good idea to be able to show you’ve tried everything toremedy your problem. It might help, and for the record, write aletter to the company outlining everything you’ve gone through. In the letter make sure you ask for exactly what you expect themto do! Do not expect them to figure it out because they won’t.Secret Weapon: Small Claims Court*A small claims court case is the best-underused tool for peoplewho’ve been screwed by big - or little - companies. It’s thecustomer’s weapon of mass destruction! I know, you’re saying ‘you can win but you can’t collect.’That’s not the way big companies see it. Believe me, they don’twant legal judgments against them hanging over their heads andwill almost always take these claims very seriously. Often, justfiling or even threatening to file a complaint will get theattention and results you seek. 99% of the time it is far moreexpensive for companies to defend these cases than to make goodon their original promises. If stating you’re intention to filedoesn’t get attention the order they receive to appear in courtis guaranteed to. And if they don’t show up you win by default.Case in point: Recently I got a long-overdue reimbursement checkfrom a health insurance company. How? After many, manyfrustrating conversations and unreturned promised phone calls Ileft this message: “I have spent all the time I’m going to withyou people. If this matter isn’t resolved to my satisfaction bytomorrow at 3pm I am filing a small claims court suit for xxx$’s against your company.” Result? The check was overnighted tome.Don’t let them intimidate you! It’s the oldest trick in thebook. If you file, you’re likely to receive a letter from thedefendant’s legal department insisting your claim is“frivolous.” They will then threaten to counter-sue you fortheir legal fees (big bucks) if you lose. Unless your claim isintentionally ridiculous, don’t fall for it! Just losing doesn’tmake a case frivolous. This tactic usually means they’re scared. Absolute musts! You must have records of what your claim is andwhat you’ve been through before filing. Your claim must havemerit! There are no guarantees you’ll win should you go to courtbut if you don’t have your records and documentation in order,you’ll lose.An Ounce of Prevention You can lower your risk of futureproblems. Before you do business with a company check to see ifthey’re listed and/or rated with the Better Business Bureau.They have an Online Reliability program and companies whoparticipate have to agree to dispute arbitration in order toparticipate. File a Complaint Online: To file a complaint or to get freeinformation on consumer issues, visit www.ftc.gov or calltoll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261.This info courtesy of PREOWNEDCARS.COM. Visit us atHTTP://WWW.PREOWNEDCARS.COM, where 7% goes to charities. *I amnot a lawyer, and I don’t play one on the Web. The following isfrom my research and personal experience. Note: small claimscourt rules vary from state to state, however, you can find outwhat you need at http://www.lawguru.com/faq/17.html. 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