The Seven Deadly Sins of Consumer Complaints

Getting Your Problems Resolved
The Seven Deadly Sins of Consumer Complaints

You just purchased furniture from a company but discover that it was damaged during delivery... as soon as you turn on the new big screen television, you notice a line running through the middle of the picture... a contractor that you hired has done a lousy job and now won't return your calls... You've tried your best to resolve these issues but you're getting nowhere. It could be that you've committed one of the seven deadly sins of consumer complaints, ensuring that your issue will be ignored.

1. Wrath: You are extremely frustrated over your problem and decide to call customer service. The adrenaline takes over and instead of trying to calmly discuss the issue, you fly off the handle. You've just lost the rep on the other end of the phone because there's no way they're going to help you after listening to your tirade. This is one of the reasons why it's better to clearly present your case first in a letter or email prior to making the call. You'll be able to provide all of the background information you need as well as pictures or documents to back up your case.

2. Miscommunication: In your haste, you've sent an email to the company but didn't state your case clearly. The company has no idea what the problem is or what you even want. You've blown the best chance you had to get the resolution you wanted. Now if you call them up to explain the problem further, you're just digging yourself a deeper hole.

3. Greed: The company has offered a fair resolution but you want more. You're so aggravated over the experience that you're basically demanding 110%. Your demands are going to annoy the people who are trying to resolve the issue and they'll withdraw the offer. The chances of you filing suit are pretty minimal and they know that. They'll give you nothing now and take their chances.

4. Laziness: Most consumers fall into this category. They have a problem but give up dealing with the company. This is especially true when the issue involves a contractor or developer. The thing to keep in mind is that persistence can pay off. The only thing you'll accomplish by giving up is that you're taking full responsibility for the problem now.

5. Ego: You don't want to deal with a customer service rep when you first contact the company about a problem. You feel that you are an important person and should be dealing with someone in management, or even at the executive level. If it's a small company, this may be the right approach. But in a large company, there are steps that need to be followed first before escalating your issue.

6. Insecurity: You easily get intimidated when dealing with a company representative. Even if they agree to resolve the problem, you feel too insecure to tell them exactly what you want. You let them walk all over you and now you're only getting 10% of what you deserve.

7. Idiocy: Maybe you've sent a letter or email with numerous spelling mistakes... or you called customer service and fumbled over your words... you've now been labeled as an uneducated consumer and you're no longer a threat to their business. They don't fear you telling your story to other people and drawing negative attention to their products or services. You've lost all credibility as well as any chances for a resolution.

Committing any one of these seven deadly sins of consumer complaints can result in your inability to resolve an issue. At AngryLetterWriters.com, we have developed a series of best practices to follow when contacting companies or service providers. We follow these best practices when writing customized letters, emails, and Web content to dramatically improve the response and resolution rate.