How to Resolve a Consumer Complaint, Part Two

How to Resolve a Consumer Complaint, Part Two

March 15, 2021
Explain your complaint clearly
The first step toward resolving your complaint is being able to clearly explain your problem and how you were negatively affected. Some consumer complaints are easy to understand. Problems with products and tangible items usually fit into this category. You buy an iron, but it doesn't heat up when you plug it in. You order a steak medium-rare, and it comes to your table well done. In these cases the problem is obvious, and you're likely to get more than a sincere apology. On the other hand, problems with service are often less easy to remedy because the consequences to you are less clear-cut. A waiter treats you rudely. Your hotel room isn't ready when you check in at six P.M. The business may not respond satisfactorily to your complaint unless you can make a case that you suffered a tangible loss as a result of receiving poor service. Did you lose money? Time? Was your appetite spoiled? Did you become so angry that your evening was ruined? If you can explain specifically how you were affected by poor service, your complaint will carry more weight.
 
Explain how you want the problem resolved
Once you've outlined your complaint, explain how you want the problem resolved. Do you want your money back, in full? Do you want to exchange the item? Do you want extra service or free service or a free product now, or in the future? Do you want the product repaired? Would you be satisfied with a sincere apology? Remedying a consumer complaint means resolving the complaint to your satisfaction, so you have to decide what will satisfy you and communicate that to the person in charge of helping you.
 
Decide whether you need to proceed further
Often when you complain, you get what you want. You exchange your iron for a new one, and the new iron works perfectly. The hotel room you were promised wasn't ready, so you're upgraded to a suite. But sometimes, you're offered a compromise. You want a new iron, but instead the manufacturer offers to repair the old one. You can't get into your hotel room right away, but you can store your luggage with the bell captain and have a drink in the hotel bar on the house while you wait. Unfortunately, sometimes, you're turned down completely. At this point, you have to decide to accept the outcome or pursue your complaint further.

If after considering your options, and perhaps talking them over with a neutral third party, you decide to pursue your complaint further, realize that persistence often pays off. While some businesses have high customer-service standards, others do not, and sometimes it takes time and patience to resolve a complaint satisfactorily. In addition, one employee in an organization does not necessarily represent the standards of the business as a whole. You may be dealing with someone who doesn't want to be wrong, who is having a bad day, or who is a poor communicator.
 
What to do if your initial attempts to remedy your complaint fail
After you've tried (and failed) to remedy your complaint with the appropriate department head or manager, you may have to send a complaint letter to the president, owner, or other executive in the company. You should be able to get the name, address, and phone number of someone to contact from any office in the company. Letters sent to someone high up in the company should include a brief explanation of the problem, along with an explanation of how you've already tried to resolve it. Include the names of any individuals in the company you've already spoken to. Also mention why you are not satisfied with the response you've already gotten and what specific action you want taken. Include your name, address, phone number, and any supporting paperwork.
 
Go to a government agency or consumer affairs organization
If your complaint is serious, or you are completely ignored when you initially attempt to remedy your complaint, you may want to pursue the issue with a government agency or consumer affairs organization. Many agencies and organizations won't settle individual complaints, but they can give you a lot of information about consumer rights and direct you to appropriate resources. Sometimes they will contact the company for you to request that the matter be looked into further, and this may be enough to push the company into resolving your complaint. In addition, there may be an action line in your area. An action line is usually sponsored by a local newspaper, radio station, or television station. They try to work with a business on your behalf to resolve your complaint. They often get good results because the business responds to the threat of negative publicity.
 
For on-line information on federal consumer protection laws and information on whom to call when you have a consumer complaint, see the government's comprehensive consumer resource, the current edition of the Consumer Action Handbook, available at the United States General Services Administration website, .
 
Pursue the matter in court
If you have made every effort to remedy your complaint and are still not satisfied, consider pursuing the matter in court if you have a serious, legitimate complaint. Contact a lawyer who can advise you about your options and rights. If you do sue, it will probably be in small-claims court. However, you may find that the time and money it takes to pursue your case legally may not be worth the effort.