How to Complain Effectively: using the power of communications to get what you want and be treated fairly

How to Complain Effectively: using the power of communications to get what you want and be treated fairly

How to Complain Effectively teaches you how to tell companies and organizations that you are dissatisfied with their products or services, with the goal of getting your money back or having your product or service replaced. The book begins with a discussion of why it is usually a good idea to complain when you are not happy. The reason is simple: most of the time, most companies try very hard to satisfy their customers. When they are alerted to a problem, usually they will try to solve it.

The book continues with a detailed examination of the complaint process. There�'s a process? Yes. And if it�s followed the odds are pretty good that your complaint will get handled quickly and fairly.

A major section of this process chapter deals with the importance of the �copy to� list. Your choice of exactly who to send your letter to � other than the typical Customer Service Manager or Marketing Manager � can have a critically important effect on whether your complaint is taken seriously by the offending company.

An entire chapter is devoted to the mechanics of writing a complaint letter, including tone and organization. Two actual, successful complaint letters that the author wrote are examined in considerable detail, with particular emphasis on why they worked. The reader is then led through the process of actually writing a complaint letter; the author constructs three different letters, a paragraph at a time, showing the reader exactly what needs to be said, how it needs to be said, and the order in which information needs to be presented.

Two chapters cover the importance of proofreading and making sure that the letter looks professional. Letters with misspelled words, bad grammar and glaring visual problems typically do not get the positive attention they deserve, and are often ignored because it is obvious that the writer did not care what sort of a first impression he created. This leads the offending company to believe that the complaint is not important either.

The next chapter talks about various ways complaint letters can be sent. Don�t you just put a stamp on it and send it on its way? Well, no. The Post Office in particular offers a wide variety of delivery techniques, from common first class mail to a number of methods that insure that your letter is delivered to a specific person.

The final chapters deal with the use of threats, including the use of the critical second �copy to� list, the importance of follow-up, and what to do if the company you are complaining to doesn�t respond in a timely fashion.

If you'�ve ever felt ripped off, cheated or taken advantage of, you need How to Complain Effectively.