Medford mail tribune., November 30, 1958, Image 56

WS lAl fJL
and the headlight and sent them off
to the battery company with a request
for replacement per their warranty.
About a month later I was sent two
flashlight batteries, accompanied by a
fatuous form letter, but no lamp and
no indication of when or if the lamp
would be replaced. So I wrote a letter
to the president of the company,
pointing out that I would hardly spend
26 cents on postage to get two 10-cent
batteriesi and repeating the request
for a new headlight.
The president's reply was immediate
and apologetic. It turned out that the
company couldn't find a lamp to match
the damaged one, but they sent my
daughter money to buy another of her
own choice. This never would have
happened had we not complained
and persisted long enough to get the
complaint in the hands of someone
who could act on it
"J" ms is important: getting the com
plaint to someone with au
thority. Returning from a busi
ness trip recently, a friend and I went
to a small-town airport to catch a
scheduled airliner on which we had
reservations. It was dusk on a clear
Summer evening when we arrived at
the airport about a half hour before
Plane time. We found the field desert
ed, and a man standing at the door of
the air-line office, apparently prepar
ing to lock up for the night
"Hey, what's the big idea?" we
asked him. "What happened to Flight
185 to Chicago?"
"Oh, that," he chuckled. "It's been
canceled. Won't be coming in. Next
n'Bnt out of here won't be 'til tomor
row noon."
We had a long and uncomfortable
wain ride back to Chicago, giving us
plenty of time to work up a good case
of anger at the air line. At home, we
lodged a strong complaint with their
main office. We were told that no
equipment had been available.
Just what this meant or why it
wasn't available for a scheduled flight
in perfect flying weather wasn't at all
clear. So my friend and I wrote the
Civil Aeronautics Authority and told
them the whole story. They promised
an investigation and action if it was
warranted. As a result perhaps some
other passengers who might have been
stranded as we were will be provided
the transportation they were promised.
Another acquaintance a $25,000-a-year
business executive bought a
new car recently. When he negotiated
the deal, he was wearing old, paint
daubed clothing because he had been
working around the house and hadn't
bothered to change. When he went
over to pick up the car a few weeks
later, he wrote a check for the full
amount. The dealer was appalled.
"This didn't look like a cash deal to
me when I talked with you before,"
he said. "I just assumed from your
clothes that you would finance the
car. If you intend to pay cash, it 11
cost you $100 more."
The buyer refused to pay the extra
$100. He said the deal had been agreed
on and now the dealer was reneging.
The dealer, in turn, refused to part
with the car on the original terms.
So my friend telephoned for the
president of the corporation making
the cars. He didn't get him, but he got
one of his assistants. He was promised
an answer as soon as the aide had
time to investigate. Within a few
hours, my friend received a call from
the factory. .
"Would you be willing to accept the
original deal from another local dealer?"
he was asked.
. He complied and got the car at the
price first agreed on. This man could have
paid the additional $100 without undue
strain. But a principle was involved, and
he stuck by his guns. More American
consumers should follow his example.
3
THE
HWDLK
BROKE
Here are a few ground rules that should be
observed in registering an effective complaint:
Have a legitimate grievance.
This seems so obvious as to be
unnecessary, yet there is a class
of chronic complainers in which
you most certainly don't want to
be included. These are people
who complain about everything
good, bad, or indifferent Your
complaint should be reasonable,
well-founded, and easily sub
stantiated. Make your complaint to some
one in a position to act. A bus
driver isn't the man to talk to
about poor transit scheduling
any more than a sales clerk
should be scolded about a short
sighted policy of the store in
which she works. These people
have nothing to do with setting
or changing policy. Your com
plaint should be directed to
someone who can act Aim high.
Send it to the president of the
company. If your point is well
taken, you're likely to hear di
rectly from him or one of his
immediate subordinates.
Be brief, specific, and to the
point. Don't get so carried away
by the terrible injustice done
you or so enamored of the sound
of your own words that you ruin
your chances of redress by in
coherent ramblings. Be factual.
Substantiate as far as possible.
REPLACE
IT j
0
TVS
GRJiATjSIR
)
Then stop. Don't prejudice your
case by overdoing it.
Suggest a solution. Too often
people complain without offer
ing what they consider a satis
factory solution to the problem.
This leaves a vacuum which the
company or individual receiving
the complaint frequently doesn't
bother trying to nil. Result: dis
satisfaction on both sides. When
you complain, suggest a solu
tion that will satisfy your
wounded sensibilities. This faces
the other party with a clear
choice of either accepting your
proposal, refusing it, or offering
a compromise counter-proposal.
Write a letter of praise when
it's merited. There are two sides
to the letter-writing coin. If you
exercise your right to complain,
you should also offer praise
where a product or service mer
its it. Americans not only don't
complain frequently enough;
they also don't praise as often
as they should.
Remember, the next time you
feel imposed on by a product or
a service, chances are the people
behind it would like to know
how you feel. And most of them
will do something about it. If
they don't they're soon likely to
find themselves out of business.
FamUy Weekly, November JO, 1951 29