In November 1993, Sheila Smith wrote to a Virginia resort on behalf of her newlywed daughter, Karin, whose honeymoon suite had lacked the view, fireplace and bottle of champagne she had been promised.
Thanks to her mother’s letter, Karin received a full $1,200 refund and a complimentary weekend at the hotel. Surprised? Sheila and Karin weren’t. Sheila, a 47-year-old New Jersey advertising coordinator, has been writing complaint letters for 28 years and has always gotten results.
Among the apologies she’s received from businesses: $250 from a candy company to compensate for a box of spoiled chocolates, a free dinner for two at a restaurant where she had received poor service, and free plane tickets from an airline that had rescheduled a flight at the last minute.
“I just think you should get what you pay for, especially today,” she says. “Besides, who can afford to throw money away?”
It turns out that millions of people do just that. According to Technical Assistance Research Programs (TARP), an Arlington, Va.-based research firm that tracks customer-service trends, there’s been a slight increase in recent years in the number of Americans complaining.
Still, only 50 percent of consumers with a valid gripe tell the offending business that they are upset with its products or services. And a mere 4 percent contact manufacturers or corporate headquarters directly to settle such problems.
“People don’t realize that being heard and expecting results are fundamental consumer rights,” says Polly Baca, special assistant to President Clinton and director of the U.S. Office of Consumer Affairs.
A half-hour or less is all the time it takes to write a complaint letter. And businesses take them seriously. In fact, companies are more likely now than ever to act on letters.
Given today’s uncertain economic climate, heightened competition among businesses and the increase in consumer advocacy, a company would be foolish to turn its back on an aggrieved customer.
“Complaints send businesses into damage-control mode,” says Chester Wolford, co-author of “Business Communication” (Dryden, 1992). “It costs a lot more-5 to 10 times more in advertising dollars-to replace a customer than it does to keep one.”
And studies show that people who are satisfied with the way their gripe is resolved tell five people about it, whereas those who are dissatisfied tell twice as many, says John Goodman, president of TARP.
Without a doubt, a well-written complaint letter is superior to grousing over the phone or face-to-face, says Richard Akers, president of the Louisville Better Business Bureau.
The fact that you’ve taken the time to write a letter tells the business you’re serious about having the problem resolved and you expect action to be taken promptly.
More important, the letter gives you a permanent written record of what you’ve said to the company and when, says Barbara Roper, a consumer advocate for the Consumer Federation of America.
“In prolonged disputes or ones in which a lot of money is at stake, your ability to show a paper trail, or tangible proof of the steps you’ve taken to resolve your complaint, is often what determines your success or failure,” she says.
In other words, it enables you to show that you’ve done everything in your power to rectify the situation. If there’s a delay in action, it’s the company’s fault, and you have documentation to back that up.
Always keep copies of your letters. This is helpful should the business ask you for such proof, should you seek the help of a consumer-advocacy organization such as the Federal Trade Commission or Better Business Bureau or should you ultimately decide to sue.
Experts also say that written communication is more effective because you have greater control over the tone of your complaint. Angry outbursts won’t get you far. With a letter you have the advantage of being able to review what you’ve written and temper the tone accordingly.
This isn’t to say that your tone should be blase. Rather, Roper says, write a complaint letter as if you were writing to a friend, someone who cares about your problem. Place the emphasis on how distressed or inconvenienced you are.
Most consumer complaints are resolved with one letter, but some require a few more steps. If your first letter isn’t answered, follow up with a second, enclosing a copy of your first letter and noting that you’re contacting the company again about the same complaint.
If you’re still stonewalled, contact your local chamber of commerce or Better Business Bureau, consumer-action hot lines, city or state department of consumer affairs or the FTC. These organizations and offices specialize in helping consumers take on businesses.
WHAT A COMPLAINT LETTER SHOULD SAY
– Begin with a genuine compliment if possible or by describing the problem in a matter-of-fact-not emotional-tone.
– Be specific about the style, serial or model number.
– Date the letter and mention when you purchased the product and when it started giving you trouble. The longer you wait to complain about the problem, the more dubious the company will be about the validity of your gripe.
– Be specific about where you purchased the item. Corporate headquarters may want to contact the store to see if other customers have had similar complaints.
– Don’t ramble. In general, the letter should not exceed one page.
– Enclose a copy of your receipt and canceled check, if possible.
– Firmly yet courteously say what you would like the company to do.
– Set a deadline for a reply. If you don’t give the company a date by which you expect to hear from them, they may assume you’re in no hurry for a response.
– Include your phone number and address.
– Address your letter to the company president. He or she has the most incentive to see that your complaint is handled promptly.
– Type the letter on business-size paper. It’s more professional and boosts your credibility.
