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Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Does it Pay to Complain?

Have you ever bought a product that didn't live up to your expectations, had a bad experience at a store, had horrible service from a company?

I joke with my hubby that he's my PR department.  He is the patient communicator in our relationship, so he got the job hands down when it comes to dealing with coupon issues when we shop. This weekend we had a bad experience at a CVS where we normally don't bargain hunt. While I was angry for how we were treated, he as usual, kept his cool. My PR department (the hubby) called the store manager the next day, who was not happy about our experience at his location. The manager promised to drop a $10 ECB in the mail for our troubles.....today a $25 GC showed up instead. What's the secret?

While we're trained from a young age to accept what goes wrong in life with a smile, you don't always have to. If you experience "something gone wrong", whether it be for a product or service you've paid for, it's OK to complain, as long as you do it the right way.

How to Complain (via the PR Guy)

1. Be clear headed and know exactly what it is that made you unhappy.
 Was it the service? Were you treated unfairly? Was the product bad?

2. Know in advance what could make this wrong a right.
 Would you like an apology? A refund? Replacement?

3. Ask to speak to someone in charge, such as a manager.
 Most complaints can be handled right from the source, start small.
 
4. Stay calm and be polite. Being brash from the get-go... it won't get you anywhere.
Yes, you're upset, but if your confrontational from the start, people tune you out and become defensive.  You'll get better results if you explain your situation and ask for help ~nicely.

5. If all else fails, contact corporate. 
Sometimes things just don't get resolved no matter how hard you tried. If you're not happy with the results, contact a general manager or the company corporate headquarters using steps 1-4. 

6. Let it go.
If all fails, walk away. It's that simple. You've done the best anyone can do, be proud of yourself for standing up for what you truly believe was right. It's their loss, in the end.


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