Making Yourself Heard

When You've Been Treated Unfairly

The first step is to help people understand what happened and why it was wrong.

• If people do not know what your problem is, they cannot help you fix it;
• Tell the person you are talking to which item or service you are unhappy with. Make sure you tell them what you want done;

If you bought a sweater by mail and found a hole in it, you can say,

"I bought a sweater by through the mail. It had a hole in the sleeve. I would like to return the sweater. I would like another sweater or my money back."

If you hired somebody to fix your car and the car will not run you might say,

"I hired your mechanic to fix the starter in my car. I paid the man and my car will still not start. I would like you to fix the car. If not, I would like my money back."

Tips for making a complaint

When you contact a business to complain have all the information you need with you;

• Offer the person you are talking to an account number. Offer to send any receipts, billing statements or canceled checks that prove your point;
• Make notes of what is said and the names of everyone at the company you spoke to;
• Also, write down when you spoke to them and what they said;
• If someone will not give you their first or last name ask them for their number and the name of their boss.

These same rules apply even when you are complaining to the government.

Act Calm and Polite

• When you are making a complaint do not get angry. Be calm and polite.
• You may have good reason to be angry. Still, acting that way can cause people to decide they don't want to help you.
• Think about how you feel when people yell at you, threaten you or call you names.
• Handling complaints can be a tough job so put yourself in their shoes.
• If you make things harder by getting angry, that person may do the same to you.

You can complain by phone, in-person, by mail or email

Use these tips . . . .

Telephone. You can call about the problem and try to get it fixed. You should be able to learn in one or two calls whether the problem can be worked out easily and quickly.

Go in Person You may need to go to the company and meet with someone so they can look at the item and your receipts, bills or statements.

Complaining in person might help, but it is not always needed. If you go and no one there can assist you, you will have wasted your time.

Call ahead to see if they accept in-person complaints and at what times. Ask a friend to go with you if you are worried about being harassed or if you want a witness.

Write Letters Letters are a big deal.

• You may need to put things in writing because complaints are often ignored until they are seen in writing.
• Letters help the person you are complaining to understand your side of the story.
• If you go to court later, you will want these letters. Write letters as soon as you know it will take a while to get your problem fixed.
• Letters do not need to be long. Keep them short. Include an account or order number so that the company will be able to check their records.
• Send a copy of your canceled check or the receipt with the letter.

What If They Ignore My Letter?

• If the company ignores your letters you may wish to send the letters certified or registered mail so that you will have proof that the letter was sent.
• If you get your problem fixed right away write a letter to the company. Ask them to ignore the complaint and thank them for their help.
• If you problem is not fixed after following these steps, Read [If At First You Don't Succeed] and[Getting a Lawyer to Help]

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See:

[If At First You Don't Succeed][Getting a Lawyer to Help]