Consumer complaints – Is there a right way to complain?

I have heard consumers complain about unfair treatment meted out to them from various companies. Unfortunately, there seemed to be much confusion about the steps consumers can take to rectify the problem.

The most common solution seems to be to take their business elsewhere while spreading their dissatisfaction to everyone they meet.

While that solution certainly might seem attractive, does it really serve the consumer’s or the company’s best interest?

At times the complaint might not have gotten to the attention of the person who has the authority to enact change. As a result the problem one customer faces will continue to affect other customers and ultimately the business will fail.

I think that any complaint must be dealt with immediately, if this is not done then the chances of the matter being resolved is significantly reduced.  The first step is a verbal complaint, this should be done in a calm and dignified manner.

It is also important that the chain of command is identified as it makes no sense to complain to someone who has no authority to enact change.  After this has been done and the customer does not feel that his concerns have been adequately met then it is important to proceed to the next step.

The written word

The best way top record your complaint is to write a letter detailing your experiences with the company.

Although writing to a media outlet such as The Gleaner is certainly an option, the best way of getting a response is to write a letter to the supervisor of the company.

If after a reasonable amount of the time there is no response from the company, then consumers have another option.

Consumers can access a form on the Consumer Affairs Commission website www.consumeraffairsjamaica.gov.jm, that targets compiling complaints about businesses.

This form requests that consumers detail their complaints and submit contact information for both them and the company.

The website assures the consumers that their privacy will be protected as they use secure socket layer (SSL) encryption to protect the transmission of the information consumers submit and the information provided is stored securely offline.

So do you know how to complain?

Let me hear from you!

Teri Ann Paisley

Gleaner online Writer

Tags: complaints