In these days of automated phone systems and bad manners, getting good service from big companies can feel overwhelmingly impossible.
But during my time as a consumer affairs reporter and – more importantly – during my time as a consumer, I’ve gotten pretty good at getting companies to do the right thing.
And I believe that social media actually makes the process even easier. After all, Joe Sixpack with 10,000 blog followers and 5,000 Facebook friends has more of a platform than most local newspaper reporters these days.
So here are some simple steps to getting the help you need:
1. Document, document, document
Keep manuals for major purchases. And make a photocopy of the receipt and staple it inside the cover of the manual. Photocopies are better than the original receipt since most stores now use special inks that disappear after 6-12 months. Sneaky, huh? On the cover of the manual write the model number and serial number of the product along with the date and place you purchased it. I have two special files for these manuals: one for major appliances and one for small appliances. If I have an issue, I never have to rummage around looking for the information I need.
If you’re having an issue, write down some notes about exactly what’s happening, when the problem started and what you’ve already done to try to rectify it. Next, do an Internet search to see if you’re experiencing a common problem. If there is a design flaw in the product causing widespread problems, you need to know that before you make a call. Bookmark sites that detail the problem you’re having on the off chance to have to make a case to the corporation later.
Keep detailed notes on every step until the repair is complete. Get the full name, direct phone number, job title and date of conversation every time to speak to someone. Keep those notes in the appliance manual for later reference.
2. Check your warranties
The product may still be under warranty. If not, see if you have additional protections through the store you purchased the item from or the credit card you used, if you used one. But don’t despair if you’re out of warranty, you can still usually get help once you find the right people.
3. Know who to call
Call a reputable service company for an idea of what’s causing the problem and what it will cost to fix it. Ask if they’re seeing a lot of that particular problem with this particular product. And again, take good notes.
When you’re ready to call the company, call the executive offices, the president’s office, company headquarters or anywhere that is not the usual 1-800-hope-they-answer customer service line. Calling customer service first can completely derail the effectiveness of your efforts. Here’s why: once you call customer service, they start an electronic file of your complaint, full of notes about things they may or may not have done to “rectify” the situation. Customer service reps are trained to get rid of you, not to help you. If you call customer service first and then call corporate out of frustration, you likely won’t get anywhere because the corporate rep will say, “Well I see here that Mary already addressed that situation with you last Monday, so there is nothing that I can do.” Mary likely didn’t do a darn thing to help you, but a customer service reps notes usually have no bearing on reality. And calling customer service reps multiple times demanding justice will only get you flagged as “difficult” and then you’re toast. Go straight to the top every time.
4. Handle the call correctly the first time
This is key. Blow the first phone call and you’re toast. Once you’ve decided where you are going to call, take a deep breath, have a Coke, say a prayer and dial. Be calm. Be nice. Be direct. Be patient. Do not, no matter how frustrated you are, take it out on the person on the other end of the phone. They’ve likely been yelled at on the phone all day. Want help? Be the person who does not yell.
Get the person’s name and use it. Be specific and factual. Do not lie and do not exaggerate. Don’t get emotional. These people listen to complaints all day and they know the process much better than you do. They’re not going to be swayed by your tears or insistence that your life as you know it has come to a grinding halt because of their company’s negligence.
Never say anything that will make the employee feel defensive. That gets you nowhere except to a quicker “no.” Don’t be accusatory, derogatory or mean.
Ask open-ended questions that allow the employee to offer assistance.
Right: “What can you suggest to help me with this situation?”
Right: “What can the company do to help me?”
Right: “What resources do you offer your customers who experience this problem?”
Wrong: “What’s your problem?”
Wrong: “What are you going to do about it?”
Wrong: “Why can’t you people make products that work?”
Be reasonable. You can’t expect the company to give you a brand-new washer to replace your 20-year-old model. If they offer that, great. Please email me and let me know who the manufacturer was.
Here’s a rundown of the conversation I had this morning regarding my icemaker:
“Whirlpool Executive Offices, this is Jessica, how may I help you?”
Me: “Good morning, Jessica. I’m having problems with my ice maker and dispenser on my 4-year-old Whirlpool Gold side-by-side refrigerator. The dispenser has not worked for a couple of years now, and now the ice is getting stuck in the ice maker. We have already replaced the dispenser once, and it broke again less than a year later, so we’ve just lived without it. But we can’t exactly go without ice. The estimates I’ve gotten to repair these items are running about $500, and I can’t see spending that to repair a 4-year-old product, especially a product from a company like Whirlpool. And I see from my internet research that these are actually common problems with this particular model of refrigerator. We’ve been loyal customers for many years, is there anything you can do to help us?”
In my initial comments, I communicated the following things:
- I’ve done my homework. I know what the problem is, what our out-of-pocket costs would be to fix it, and that it’s not just us.
- I’m reasonable. I was kind and calm and didn’t accuse her or her company of evil intentions. We’ve lived with a broken dispenser for two years, so we’re not calling and raising a firestorm over every little thing. (Although I shouldn’t have accepted a broken dispenser, geesh.)
- They’ve made a lot of money off us already. As the conversation progressed, I mentioned that we’ve bought two brand-new homes since our fridge purchase in 2006 and both were stocked with Whirlpool Gold appliances (a fact she no-doubt confirmed by checking registration records).
- This fridge has been problematic. They had record of the dispenser replacement in 2008, and of the fact that they had already covered the part cost of a computer replacement of 2007, which I had actually forgotten about because I had not noted that in the manual (silly me).
- I put the ball in her court.
In a five-minute phone call, she kindly agreed to cover the cost of any parts we needed to complete the repairs. That’s a pretty good five minutes, in my book.
After scheduling the service call, I immediately called her back with the information she requested about who would be doing the work and when, and got further instructions on what we needed to do while the technician was here to get the parts covered.
5. Don’t take no for an answer
If you don’t get anywhere during the first phone call, be kind but keep trying. Keep calling, keep being nice but keep being persistent until you find someone willing to help you. If you find yourself e-mailing the president of the company, so be it, but don’t go that far until you’ve spent a fair amount of time trying to get help at a level or two below the president.
After a week of phone calls you need to resort to sending letters. Include copies of all your documentation and notes and a copy of the receipt for the repair, if you just went ahead and fixed the darn thing already.
If the company still won’t budge, post brief nudges on their Facebook page and send them direct messages via Twitter. If they STILL won’t budge and you’re quite certain your demands are reasonable, start blogging about it. You know what they say about the squeaky wheel.
6. Do your research before you buy
I can’t believe it myself, but I no longer trust Consumer Reports for recommendations. I wasted $300 on a vacuum cleaner that was completely useless, yet it was their top pick. And I’ve seen them recommend other products that I already owned or had experience with and knew to be less than the best. After my Hoover disaster I bought a Dyson that Consumer Reports rated very, very low and it’s the best vacuum I’ve ever had.
A more effective way of researching potential purchases is just to run Google searches and ask your friends on Facebook. You’ll quickly learn who loves what and why, and who wasted $300 on a Hoover.
Be a loyal customer
Stick with the same brands that you know and love and you’ll seldom regret it. And reward companies that do the right thing. When Samsung replaced the screen on our out-of-warranty LCD TV, I thanked them on Twitter, posted my praise on Facebook and blogged about it. And I mention it every chance I get. More importantly, we’ve already bought another Samsung TV since then and have plans to buy a third as soon as the budget permits.
And if you love a company or store, share that even if you’re not trying to get something out of it. I love DSW. It’s my favorite shoe store. I found a great bargain on there and Tweeted about it, and promptly got a follow from @DSWShoeLovers, so I followed them back. About a month later, I responded to one of their Tweets and won a $75 gift card. Now I love them even more, if that’s possible. And I give them free advertising, so I’m guessing they probably love me, too.
Shop at the right stores
Give your business to stores known for stress-free return policies and a habit of standing behind what they sell. Costco is known for going above and beyond, and allowing hassle-free returns on any purchase. They also offer free warranties that often double the time alloted on the manufacturers warranty.
On the other hand, a dear friend of mine bought a $2,000 TV at Best Buy last year. They loaded the box into their SUV and when they got it home, the screen was cracked diagonally all the way across the TV. They immediately went back to Best Buy, but the store refused to exchange the TV, accusing my friend and her husband of dropping it in transit. After two weeks of calling managers, district managers and even the corporate office, she emailed me in desperate hopes I could help. Her sheepish admission that she had put the TV on a credit card was actually her saving grace: The credit card company called Best Buy and they had a new TV the next day.
If a store hassles you unfairly, hit the social media scene hard with details of what happened. If living well is the best revenge, a Twitter/Facebook campaign is a close second.
Good luck, and happy shopping.
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