Last week, I revealed how corporations are taking the average American family for about $2,000 every single month with hidden fees. This week, I provided you with some tools on how to get some of that money back: how to Argue and WIN! But not everybody was thrilled with the information that I revealed:
Bill,
I have always enjoyed watching you report the news. My husband and I love your offbeat sense of humor.
I am slightly disturbed though by this Argue and Win report that you did. Specifically the part about cable companies training their employees to tell customers "No" when they ask for bundled services. My husband and I both work for a cable provider (not the big one) in Western Washington. I am a customer service rep and am that "first person you talk to".
I am trained to offer anything that will save the customer money. Even if you don't know about a special promotion I am supposed to offer it. Reports like these create a lot of animosity towards representatives like me because it is false information. I will not tell a customer "No" if they ask for a promotion.
Also my job is NOT to "get you off the phone". EVER. My job is to assist my customers in any way that I can, and if I can't help then I find who can, I follow up on issues and ensure that anything that comes across my desk is taken care of.
A lot of the information you gave is great as far as knowing your consumer rights. I just feel that you have now made my job harder because customers will now have a preconceived notion of what my job is and how I will treat them.
Thank you for your time.
-J Steele
It's always great to hear from you. It's heartening to hear that your cable company is working to make the customer service experience simple and easy for customers, but in this increasingly cut-throat corporate culture that our country has been thrust into, it's very difficult to even get an actual human being on the phone sometimes. The strategies that I provided in the story are from sources at MSN, Bob Sullivan, the author of "Gotcha Capitalism", and the Wall Street Journal. I'm happy to hear that your company is adhering to a more customer-friendly approach. That gives us all a little more hope.
If you've been ripped off by corporate America, or have some ideas on how to fight back, let me know about it right here by leaving a comment, or email me directly: bwixey@tribune.com
Here's a few more strategies from MSN and the Wall Street Journal:
--Know your rights. Sometimes companies get away with egregious behavior simply because its victims dont know the law. Its illegal, for example, for a company to knowingly report false credit information, or for collection agencies to keep calling you after youve told them in writing to stop. Knowing the law -- and letting the companies know you know -- is sometimes effective in getting bad behavior to stop.
--If your complaint involves a contract, warranty or guaranty, read all the fine print that came with it. You dont necessarily have to limit yourself to the remedies prescribed in these documents, but you should at least know what the company promised.
--Know what you want. Be clear in your mind and in all your communications with the company about what you want to happen. That way you wont get sidetracked.
--After all, the customer-service reps job, typically, is not to make you happy. Its to get you off the phone.
--If the rep suggests ways to fix your problem at all, it will usually be ways that dont cost her or the company much. When my new laptops hard drive failed for the second time last month, Dell wanted to send me yet another replacement part. But I knew from the start of my call that I wasnt getting off the phone until a replacement computer was on its way.
--Make sure that what you want is both reasonable and doable. Your definition of those two terms may vary from the companys, but you cant be ridiculous about it. The dry cleaner that ruined your jacket, for example, should be expected to buy you a new one. You shouldnt expect free dry cleaning for life.
--Be concise. Boil your story down to its essential elements; you might even practice first with a friend before you pick up the phone. Nattering on about irrelevant details will just make it easier for the rep to tune out or miss the point. Besides, youre going to have to repeat your story over and over and over to get results. Might as well save yourself some time by editing in advance.
--Dont be a jerk. You dont have to be nice, necessarily. You do have to be polite.
Being nice sometimes greases the wheels.
--Carve out some time. Im convinced some companies try to wear you out with excessively long hold times. You cant force them to pick up the phone, but you can fight back by out-waiting them.
--Get names and call back numbers. Sometimes, you dont have three hours in a row to spend on the phone. Rather than start over from the beginning each time you dial, make sure you know how to get back in touch with the people who handled your last call. Having a name and number also comes in handy when you get transferred into voice-mail hell or the phone simply goes dead -- not that a customer-service rep would ever, ever deliberately hang up on you.
--Take notes. I dont know why, but reps are inordinately impressed when you can tell them exactly when you were told what by whom. These details can also help when youre enlisting others to come to your aid (see below).
--When in doubt, get it in writing. Consumer advocates usually recommend putting disputes in writing. The reality is that most problems get handled over the phone, and you dont necessarily have to conduct business by snail mail.
--If the issue involves a lot of money, taxes, legal issues or your credit report, however, put everything in writing and send the letters certified mail, return receipt requested. Keep a log of all your communications with the company and copies of every relevant piece of paper.
--Keep moving up the ladder. You probably know that if you cant get what you want from a phone rep, you should ask to speak to a supervisor. But the folks with the real power may be several rungs up the ladder. If you strike out, try the companys marketing or public-relations division. A letter sent to the companys president or CEO can often break through a logjam like nothing else.
--If the company is violating the law, you may need to contact the appropriate regulator. Youll need to do some research to find the right office, and you cant necessarily count on results. The Federal Trade Commission, for example, collects complaints about credit bureaus, but typically only acts if it sees a pattern of problems emerging.
--If youre having a problem with the government itself, the ultimate resource may be your local, state or federal representative. Many lawmakers pride themselves on taking care of their constituents on this grassroots level.
--Finally, you can always hire a lawyer. Its not the easiest or most cost-effective way to get what you want, but sometimes it pays off.