The Art Of The Complaint

The Art Of The Complaint

5 Tips To Remember

by Jovan Tahale

It’s been three months since the day you were promised the rug.  Frustrated and furious, you’ve called repeatedly – and it still hasn’t arrived.  Here’s how to turn your rage into results:

• Put your anger on simmer, and speak calmly to the person who will most effectively help you; usually the manager, not an endless string of operators and middlemen.
  
  
• Don’t start with negatives. State your case assertively and back it up with facts.  Have names and dates at your fingertips.  Demand a specific remedy and a deadline.  If you feel you won’t get satisfaction, stop payment immediately and negotiate from there.
  
  
• Be prepared with documentation: a written record of the problem as it developed, copies of sales receipts, and photographs of flawed merchandise.
  
  
• Enlist your antagonist as you would a friend. Say, “I understand you’re not directly responsible for this problem, but I need your help…”  Tell the manager you’re writing his boss a letter to document your complaint.
  
  
• Still no success? Get a third party to intercede on your behalf.  Call the Consumer Protection Agency in your state or your local Better Business Bureau, both of which will advise you on how to bring your complaint to a small claims court.