Great 'How to make an effective complaint' Hunt

hollydays

LittleMissRolo wrote: »

Ok i have had some giggles reading through some of your 'tips' (i don't mean to be ignorant by putting ' ' at either end of this but take the following advice)

Working for a large national retailer i deal with complaints day in day out. Here is how to complain and here is why we say what we say:

1) READYOUR T's AND C's before calling/writing/emailing
2) Remain polite, try not to shout (we're understanding folk, we're only human ourselves and have been through the same as you have once or twice)
3) Don't swear. We don't react to it, in fact we often snigger at your frustration and we are less likely to try and go that extra mile for you (mention a gv offer for dissapointment caused)
4) Remember the person at the end of the phone is in control of your order, and I'm afraid the customer is very rarely right in this day and age, as everyone is after a moan about something
5) Frontline advisors (the person that first picks up the phone) are better trained and more equipped than staff of a higher level. Please do not belittle them by asking for a manager because a manager will only advise the same information you've already been given (think of the cost of your phone bill to be told the same thing again)
6) If someone can do something for you, they will, without an argument. We don't want hassle, we want to help and do our job, but if we say we can't do something you want us to do, we genuinely means that. Honestly. No one wants to make their own job difficult. Staying on the phone kicking and screaming wont change this. I promise you. You're only going to get more and more worked up but the situation and circumstances will not change.
7) If you do speak to a manager remember the above - if you don't get any satisfaction you will probably be referred to write in. However, your complaint is (and will in our company) go to that very same managerial department and the answers will 9/10 remain the same. Putting your complaint in writing makes it no more 'official' than calling and complaining.
8) If someone says they cannot pass you onto anyone higher they mean this, so don't bullly them and belittle them. Again, why would we lie, to cause you more distress, when we could simply transfer the call to that higher person if the exsisted. We'd just do it.
9) Don't tell us you've got rid of your old furniture, employed people to do work for you etc (see point 1). ALso the sob story of 'making your child sleep on the floor' wont float. No one in their right mind would do this, we don't believe you (again see point 1)

Any advice wanted on how to write a complaint letter to get what you want, or how to call and voice your complaint and ensure you get what you want feel free to ask

Some of your points come from an extremely biased viewpoint.

point 4 is ludicrously arrogant.

point 5-well to suggest that requesting to speak to a Manager might be belittling you says more about your own maturity,than the customers attitude ever could.

there have been several times i have had to ask to speak to a Manager in order to escalate the complaint.Occasionally the Manager would come on very bristly until they realised the adviser hadn't enough knowledge to deal with the complaint,and in fact they had been wrong and i had been right.

point7-hogwash

point 8-"why would we lie?To cause you more distress?" clearly you earlier said you snigger at customers who are frustrated. I see that like some snotty doctors receptionists who think its their job to "protect"the doctor from seeing his patients.
Cs advisers are NOt the highest person in the company,much as they would like to think they are-once they get above 25 years of age they start to learn this.

mortgageslayer

Does anyone know the name and email address/postal address of the CEO/Owner/Head honcho @ Coverheat please?

Thanks

poet123

LittleMissRolo wrote: »

Ok i have had some giggles reading through some of your 'tips' (i don't mean to be ignorant by putting ' ' at either end of this but take the following advice)

Working for a large national retailer i deal with complaints day in day out. Here is how to complain and here is why we say what we say:

1) READYOUR T's AND C's before calling/writing/emailing
2) Remain polite, try not to shout (we're understanding folk, we're only human ourselves and have been through the same as you have once or twice)
3) Don't swear. We don't react to it, in fact we often snigger at your frustration and we are less likely to try and go that extra mile for you (mention a gv offer for dissapointment caused)
4) Remember the person at the end of the phone is in control of your order, and I'm afraid the customer is very rarely right in this day and age, as everyone is after a moan about something
5) Frontline advisors (the person that first picks up the phone) are better trained and more equipped than staff of a higher level. Please do not belittle them by asking for a manager because a manager will only advise the same information you've already been given (think of the cost of your phone bill to be told the same thing again)
6) If someone can do something for you, they will, without an argument. We don't want hassle, we want to help and do our job, but if we say we can't do something you want us to do, we genuinely means that. Honestly. No one wants to make their own job difficult. Staying on the phone kicking and screaming wont change this. I promise you. You're only going to get more and more worked up but the situation and circumstances will not change.
7) If you do speak to a manager remember the above - if you don't get any satisfaction you will probably be referred to write in. However, your complaint is (and will in our company) go to that very same managerial department and the answers will 9/10 remain the same. Putting your complaint in writing makes it no more 'official' than calling and complaining.
8) If someone says they cannot pass you onto anyone higher they mean this, so don't bullly them and belittle them. Again, why would we lie, to cause you more distress, when we could simply transfer the call to that higher person if the exsisted. We'd just do it.
9) Don't tell us you've got rid of your old furniture, employed people to do work for you etc (see point 1). ALso the sob story of 'making your child sleep on the floor' wont float. No one in their right mind would do this, we don't believe you (again see point 1)

Any advice wanted on how to write a complaint letter to get what you want, or how to call and voice your complaint and ensure you get what you want feel free to ask

The above advice is good to a point......roughly point 3,the rest is as you see it and bears no resemblance to what happens when I complain. I always achieve the desired result because of the points you raise 1-3 but mainly because when I am right (and I pick my battles) I never give in till I get there.

I always escalate via the correct channels,or go straight to the top. As "frontline advisor"you have the training for the job "they" want you to do,you do not have the training nor the expereince to deal with me or other experienced complainants. Nor do you have the clout to give me what I want if it falls outside your remit. Managers further up the chain do,and if they do not I go as high as is necessary, or to the Small Claims Court.

I must emphasise I never make unwarranted or unfair complaints, but I do know my rights and I will get them.

A recent example is O2,I had a complaint re the cost of a handset which was escalated via several Managers,the email complaint team (all of whom insisted that they could do no more and that I would not achieve my aim of a refund for what I knew to be an incorrectly applied charge in relation to my conversation with their agent))and then finally in writing (sent recorded delivery)politely but firmly worded, and accompanied by all the relevant email correspondance. In conclusion I informed them that if my complaint was not upheld I would sue them in the SCC for breach of contract,as my conversation with the agent formed part of my new contract and I had renewed under those express terms.

I had £80 refunded to my account within 7 days. Had they not done so I would have sued,as I never threaten then fail to follow through.

The above also happened with a leading building society when I disputed an exit charge,then I did actually have to issue the SCC summons,but 2 days later a cheque for £4000 was on the mat.

So I am sorry to say that your advice is not something I, or I suspect many on this board will be following.

eyelinerprincess

I have a tip - READ before you complain. Read the T&C, read the offer on the shelf edge, because 9 times out of 10 someone complains about something it's because they hadn't read the sign. Most customers go "my mistake" but a select few try to turn it around and complain that the sign is misleading (even though it says quite clearly what's on offer).

The second one would be to not make it so obvious if you're only complaining to try and get free stuff.

And the third would be not to threaten to complain to Trading Standards if the complaint doesn't go your way. It doesn't work most of the time.

poet123

I have had positive experiences of reporting to trading standards. Two businesses were told to make changes to their ads because they were misleading. The customer is not always wrong,and even when they are right the company involved sometimes do not want to put it right because to do so would set a precedent. If they are wrong that is their problem not mine.

eyelinerprincess

The majority of customers that threaten to go to TS are in the wrong and won't accept it.

By all means, if you've checked all the facts and still think that something's wrong, then by all means they're the ones to go to, but in my experience, most complaints can be sorted out in a moment and everyone's happy, but it is a select few that go to TS after the manager has explained everything and they've been going "lalalalala not listening!"

poet123

I am sure that the scenario you outline does happen,but equally I know that even when I have been right,and polite,my complaint has not been resolved(the O2 one above is a perfect example). I spent a lot of time on that issue,and I knew that I was right,I even offered to wait till they had checked the phone call recordings,but they were adamant they were right and I was wrong.

Eventually they admitted they had no recordings of the call,so therefore I could not prove my contentions,and I should give it up(it seemed to completely escape them that this meant that they could not disprove them either!!).

As a call centre worker,customer service agent etc you may not be aware of the outcome of many of the complaintsonce they are escalated. I am sure many of the people I spoke to about this issue are of the opinion that I have simply gone away,they will not know I am now in possession of my £80!!

yellowkatdj

Last December I sent some money by recorded delivery to my daughter, she never received it. I complained through the normal channels and sent my original receipts (they said they can't work from photocopies!). I received a letter basically saying 'tough luck but heres a book of stamps to shut you up'. I wrote back saying I either wanted them to either pay me back the money, show me my daughers signature for the letter or explain where my letter has gone. Despite sending a standard email saying they are looking into it I have heard nothing since August. Has anyone had dealings with the PO before and won any help in what my next step should be would be really helpful.

angmacw

Hiya

I have tried - unsuccessfully so far - to find the CEO of ASDA
I was sent by courier a bouquet of flowers from a group of friends as a thank you for arranging a get together
When the flowers arrived, the heads of 5 flowers were broken so I rang Asda flowers and complained to be told they would refund in full the cost of the bouquet to the person who intitally made the order.
After almost 4 weeks and endless calls Asda refunded £6.25 of the £25.00 paid - I called to ask why and was told that they only refund 25% as I had damge to just half the bouquet!!!!
I did ask for a manager nobody was available - asked for the CEO name and address as well as email - THE LINE WENT DEAD!!!!

Arrggghhhh

omen666

angmacw wrote: »

Hiya

I have tried - unsuccessfully so far - to find the CEO of ASDA
I was sent by courier a bouquet of flowers from a group of friends as a thank you for arranging a get together
When the flowers arrived, the heads of 5 flowers were broken so I rang Asda flowers and complained to be told they would refund in full the cost of the bouquet to the person who intitally made the order.
After almost 4 weeks and endless calls Asda refunded £6.25 of the £25.00 paid - I called to ask why and was told that they only refund 25% as I had damge to just half the bouquet!!!!
I did ask for a manager nobody was available - asked for the CEO name and address as well as email - THE LINE WENT DEAD!!!!

Arrggghhhh

They are owned by wal mart