A Basic Guide To Complaining

I remember only too well how not to do it. In the early years of our marriage I had taken a day off work (no pay) to stay in for Peter Jones to deliver a new duvet (I think) to our flat in London. It was a Monday and they had not been able to specify am or pm so there I waited until 5 to 6 in the evening when I lost patience and rang the store. After venting my spleen for about 10 minutes I paused for breath and a little voice replied"I am sorry, madam, but the store is closed on Mondays and you are talking to the night watchman"
Collapse of stout party - only aggravated by van drawing up outside before I had even finished my apologies with, of course, our delivery.

And if you had any reason to have more problems than most - bad eyesight, arthritis, live alone, large hungry family, diabetic, then be sure to say so. don't suffer in silence. Most of their customers have some kind of individual problem, unlike the young/fit/free-spending people who designed and sell the product.

I was moved to write to Lipsyl to tell them that their lip salve was very good, but impossible to open if you have the least degree of arthritis in your fingers.

Before I even started opening the thing itself, I had to extract it from a strong cardboard backing with tough shrinkwrap over it - it would not press out at the line partly cut into the back. That took strong kitchen scissors to break open.

The tube itself was is enclosed in another shrinkwrap sleeve, with a dotted line around it on a level with the top of the cap, and in tiny letters it said "twist to open". I twisted it with all my strengthbut could not split the sleeve. It took a small sharp knife stabbed into it and worked underneath to start it off. On such a small thing, my other hand was dangerously near the blade on slippery plastic.

I wrote to them pointing out that a high percentage of their customers must be older ladies who would rather wear colourless lipsalve than lipstick, and were very likely to suffer from stiff fingers and lack of strength.

Two weeks later I received a letter from Lipsyl. Apparently no-one else had had any problems. They had, they said, been introducing new flavours to their range, and at the same time rethinking all their packaging. They were enclosing samples of the new flavours for me.

They smelt lovely - melon, pineapple, peppermint. However, I could not open them.

Don't you just put it on Twitter these days? Naming and shaming the company?

We're not all on Twitter, jingl! Nor do some of us want to be...

I could not open a new bottle of Harpic this morning - asked OH and he had no luck either so had to go out to workshop and get some gripping tool to do it. I know they have to be childproof but they seem to be anyone proof! Wonder if they get many complaints.

No. Not everyone is on Twitter. But can be a good way to complain if you are.

Quite recently someone had some chicken from Ocado that smelt to high heaven when she opened it even though it was well within the use by date. She tweeted about it and very soon an Ocado manager tweeted her asking her to contact them so they could put it right.

Just saying. It can be a useful tool. Or even just threatening to put it online may well help.

Yes - the threat might work, even if you have no intention of actually doing it...

It's the tops on milk bottles and the pull things on fruit juices that defeat me! I have to use pliers.

When complaining in person in shops, I have found the phrase 'my consumer group' helpful. And, of course, knowing about the Sale of Goods Act. Retailers sometimes try to fob you off by saying they will contact the manufacturers or wholesalers. Nothing doing, your contract is with the retailer and it is their duty to make sure the goods are fit for purpose.

That's useful to know.
On the good side, one firm I've always found Lakeland very good.

After my Tesco experience yesterday ( see Curtain Pole thread) I had a call from Tesco HQ today asking about my complaints and assuring me that they took them seriously and would be following up. Not sure what the outcome will be, but at least I feel better for having complained and even better for receiving a prompt response.

eleanor I have had the same fight with a Lipsyl today

I've never had any problem with Lypsil - I just force the tube backwards out of the cardboard....

I have problems with bleach bottles where you have to push down the top and then turn - I really need a child to deal with childproof stuff!

Apologies to the Lypsil complainers! I've just realised that my lipsalve is actually Nivea, so my comment was irrelevant - sorry

Lipsyl.

I could have broken a wrist trying to force this backwards out of the cardboard - even with a partly cut-through bit. The cardboard was really thick and strong, would hardly bend.

I'm fed up with modern packing! Disabled friendly it ain't!

Change to Nivea, Elegran. That'll teach 'em!

I now buy anything except Lipsyl.

I have never used Twitter as a medium for complaining, however in the recent past I complained (via their website) to B&Q about one of their products, but got no response.

Funnily enough when I put the same comment on their Facebook page, they were in touch pdq!

The old story, complain direct, seen by very few people, put it in the public domain where it can be seen by the world and his dog........

That reminds me, must do it to Asda, have still not had a reply to my complaint about a non-delivery which I posted about on here, and you all seemed to be in agreement thta it was a valid complaint.

I have to agree with JO7/8/9 ... 10???
Twitter is the way to go.
For whatever reason, it works a treat.
Instant positive action!

If you get no satisfaction for a reasonable and justifiable complaint, politely expressed on the telephone by e-mail or in a letter, within in an acceptable time span, then it might be helpful to go public on Facebook or Twitter. However, surely it is common courtesy to contact the company at fault first before before becoming an amateur consumer journalist.

Mystified as to how you can encompass a complex complaint on Twitter. I think it will vary according to how twitter (or FB) savvy the company is.
I've dealt with complaints and phoenix is quite right. No point venting your spleen on some poor young person on a call centre. Not their fault. Ask them to help you resolve the problem. Try to get them to put you through to the person in charge of complaints/complaints dept.
"What are you going to do to retain my custom?" is another useful question.
I used to be that person for a couple of years. I only once failed to deal effectively a complaint. Last week in the job. Angry but polite old man was telling me about the problem he was having with his water supply. I was just getting to the point where I was going to move the conversation to an appropriate agreement for action when suddenly he changed gender! An absolutely furious wife had grabbed the phone and started yelling at me like a banshee. She had obviously been listening and did not think he had been being stroppy enough. Hell, it was my last week and could I be bothered going through the whole process again... it was the only time I said "Would you like my manager to call you back?"