How to Complain To A Company If Your Initial Complaint Goes Unanswered

Doesn't it bother you when you complain to a company about their product or service, and nothing comes of your complaint? This article gives you some sure-fire tactics for getting that company to take notice and resolve your problem, once and for all.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Stay calm, and avoid getting angry when communicating with the company representative.
• Personal computer or pen and paper so you can make careful note of your communications and the company's response.
• Patience and Perseverance.
• Friend or family member that you can share your story with, and they might serve as a "witness" if needed.

1. If you have already made an initial complaint by phone or letter, and you are not getting satisfaction, this is the time to get tough. Type a clear letter that explains your situation in chronological order. Provide copies of receipts, invoices, warranties, past letters sent, company advertisements and other supporting materials that can back up your complaint. Do not use any swear words in the letter, keep it civil and cordial.
2. Send the letter to the VP or Director of Customer Service at the company, and send a cc copy of the letter to the company's CEO. (You can get their names from the company's website, by calling the company receptionist, or, from your local Public Library.) Send the letter by registered mail with a return receipt if you want proof from the Postal Service of when it was sent and to whom, and who received and signed for it.
3. If you do not hear back from the company within two to three weeks, call the Director or VP of Customer Service, explain that you sent the letter, and ask him/her what the status is. If your complaint is being processed, ask: estimated date when you will get an answer; whether that answer will come by phone or mail; and the name of the department and person that is preparing the response. Type or write out exactly what they say to you, and make note of their name, title, phone number, and when you speak with them for your records.
4. Once the deadline date that the company contact has passed, and if you have not received a response or a satisfactory response, consider sending a new and updated letter to the VP or Director of Customer Service at the company. Again, cc the company CEO, and if you want to up the ante, also copy the letter to your local Better Business Bureau office and the head of the major professional trade association that the company belongs to. Find this information online or at your local library. (For instance, most US airlines are members of the Air Transport Association.) By copying the letter to these additional contacts, it is akin to "lighting a fire under their toes" and getting them to take some fast action.
5. Wait to see how the company respond within three to four weeks later. If you still are not satisfied with the response, consider one of the following actions in the most extreme cases, if it is warranted.
6. Again, only if the company's actions do not satisfy your needs, and if it is a warranted situation, consider:
   1) Write a letter to the head of the Better Business Bureau local office with copies of your correspondence to the company, and ask the BBB if they can assist you. Call the BBB contact if you don't hear back from them within three to four weeks. As an option, you can call the BBB before sending the letter, to ask for guidance.
   2) Consider hiring a lawyer if absolutely necessary to represent you with this matter. (Some cities have low-cost legal assistance, so check with your state or city lawyer's association, i.e., Bar Association, if such discount assistance is available.
   3) If there is a comparable issue in the news in your city, write a Letter to the Editor of the local newspaper, and make reference to your situation, and send a copy of this letter also to the Customer Service contact and CEO at the company.
   4) Call your local TV and radio station, and newspaper, and ask them who the reporter is that covers "consumer news." Then, send those reporters a 1-2 page typed cover letter with a copy of your letter to the company, and suggest that each reporter do a story on your subject as an example of a trend (if you can identify one) that they should cover. In your first paragraph or two, communicate specifically what you want them to do (i.e., Do a news story on this hazardous "Benny Pow" children's toy that the manufacturer is negligent with and could harm millions of young children that play with it.) Within 2-5 days after they get the letter, call the reporter to learn their interest. Reporters get a lot of mail so a follow-up call is necessary.
   5) Talk with your local Better Business Bureau representative, your local Chamber of Commerce office or others to see what other actions they might suggest in your case.
   6) Tell your friends and family members about the situation, and urge them to possibly not do future business with that company, be aware of the problem with this product or service, or, to assist you in resolving the matter.
   7) If the company's problem impacts many area residents or others you have communicated with, consider picketing the company's headquarters with signs, fliers to handout to the public, and inviting the media to do stories on your picketing. Do this only if appropriate and after discussion with other complainants.

Tips & Warnings

• Use spell check on your computer and have a friend or family member to proof your letters before sending them. Another "set of eyes" can help find edits that should be made before sending the letter.
• Type on your computer or write a piece of paper, the 3-5 key points that you want to make in your conversations with the company representatives. Then check off each point once you have made it. This will give stronger focus to your conversations.
• In your letters to the company, state specifically what you want for them to fix your problem. Do you want a new product, an apology, their service done over again, your money back? By informing them what you want to correct the matter, you are more likely to receive what you want and to come away satisfied from the experience. Of course, keep your request realistic and appropriate.
• If meeting in person with the company representatives, or, speaking with them by phone, stay as civil and calm as possible. Shouting, hanging up the phone, swearing at them -- none of that will help your case.
• Do an online search on the product or service to see if there have been other consumer complaints, and, to see if their have been news stories about the complaints. If you learn of other complaints, try to find out how those complaints were resolved, so that you can learn of potential steps that could help solve your situation. If you learn of other companies that have had complaints about a similar product or service, find out what solution that they provided to consumers to fix it.
• If your product or service from the company is important to you (i.e., a personal computer used in your business), while your matter is being addressed by them, see if they can provide you with a "free loaner" product or service that you can use in the meantime.
• If a company representative is particularly helpful in solving your problem, handwrite them a nice thank you note once your matter is resolved, and send a copy of the note to the company CEO. This can help the company to learn that if they selected a good solution, they should continue offering comparable solutions.
• Unfortunately, some companies -- usually the least successful ones -- pay little attention to customer service and customer satisfaction so it can take several weeks or even months to get a problem resolved. Be patient.
• Don't get too caught up in devoting your life to fixing this problem. At some point, you have to decide, "Is it time to let it rest?", and to move on to other matters in your life. After all, as the Rolling Stone's song lyrics say, "You Can't Always Get What You Want."
• Avoid getting into a personal vendetta with the company representative or the company. That will only make matters worse for you.