8 Tips for Resolving a Complaint
By GalTime .com. Posted on .
By Mary Schwager for GalTime
ways for consumers to complain and get results
Who hasn’t been in a situation when they feel like they’ve been duped, ripped off or unable to get any customer service satisfaction with resolving their complaint?
I’ve been there. It can be infuriating. When it comes to making sure my bills are paid on time, I’m an obsessive compulsive. So when I got some weird voice mail one-day saying, “This is Mrs. Jones from the collection department at the hospital. You have an unpaid $15 copy from a doctor’s visit and we’re about to send it to collection, please call us,” I flipped out. Seriously? Some bill under twenty bucks that I never even got a reminder about is going to tank my credit score?
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Shaking with anger, I called the number “Mrs. Jones” left. A customer service rep answered and after giving her all my info, she couldn’t find the bill or any outstanding amount. Thinking this person was an idiot, I requested a supervisor. I was told, “No supervisor is here, I’m sorry.”
At this point I’m even more furious. All I could think was if I don’t put a stop to this there was going to be the dumbest ding to my credit rating ever. So I blurted out, “Get me Mrs. Jones, she left the message, she must know what this is about!!!”
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There was a pause on the other end of the phone. Then silence. Then I heard the customer service rep’s hesitant voice say, “Um, well, miss, we’re all named Mrs. Jones here, that’s the collection call code name.” After hearing that, I wasn’t sure if I should burst out laughing or start screaming. You know that old phone commercial jingle that sang “Reach Out and Touch Someone”? I wanted to “reach out and shake someone” I was so mad. I finally got it resolved. But looking back at the situation let’s just say I still can’t believe my doctor’s office isn’t sending me materials on anger management classes.
So what IS the best way to resolve these types of situations? Author of Don’t Carve the Turkey with a Chainsaw: Resolving Family Conflict, certified mediator and psychologist Roger Frame, PhD aka: “The Conflict Whisperer,” has some tips on how to navigate these frustrating situations that make you want to pull your hair out!
