Ever wondered why it’s so difficult to get a company to sort things out when things go wrong?
I am an average thirty-something consumer.
Like you, I book holidays, have phone contracts and pay for my gas and electricity.
I think most people do – and yet so many things go wrong.
A problem cropping up is inevitable but a rude, difficult experience or unacceptable solution isn’t.
Having done a law degree, I am able to read the jargon and enjoy picking through the small print.
I learned to understand what I’ve signed up for and what I’m entitled to.
I also learned to argue, not to shout, and to articulate arguments and find out precisely what someone is trying to tell me.
After university I managed a hotel which was part of a small chain.
I prided myself on the service we provided, especially when things went wrong.
We didn’t quibble ands we didn’t hide behind our terms and conditions.
We believed in doing the right thing.
I know the arguments that companies make to throw off enquiries and I know how many consumers accept a brush off.
I’ve been the person to respond to complaints and I have never deliberately tried to pull the wool over someone’s eyes.
Fighting for my rights
That’s why it frustrates me all the more when customer service departments do exactly that.
I’ve had my share of fights with companies when things have gone wrong and I tend to get the solution that I want.
I should – after all, it’s my money the company wants.
But I’ve had to fight for it.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t always win but I know my rights and I shop around.
There are so many companies out there vying for my custom, and yet the customer services departments are real case studies in obstructing, ignoring or misleading consumers with problems.
Sorting simple issues can be a real exercise in patience and skill.
Why I started this website
I also took on some companies for friends and family.
One, in particular, stunned me.
I took on a holiday company for someone who had been unable to travel due to being diagnosed with cancer – and the company refused to pay out.
It took several weeks, and eventually the managing director, before the couple got a complete refund.
Appallingly, the company tried to charge an administration fee to process the refund – that soon got dropped.
I saw a similar case on the BBC’s Watchdog a couple of weeks later, where the presenter accepted the administration fee on the consumer’s behalf.
They advised that such fees are standard in these cases.
And that’s what made me start this blog.
This sort of ‘standard fee’ isn’t right.
We shouldn’t accept this conduct from those to whom we pay our hard-earned money.
Consumer crusading: not just about getting a refund
Being a consumer crusader isn’t just about getting a refund from a company or making a complaint.
It’s about holding a company to account for the things it does, and making sure it does right by those who it exists to serve.
Helping others do the same
I know what I’m doing and I’ve been doing it for years.
I set up this blog to help others to do the same.
These techniques aren’t secret – it’s a case of knowing what you can expect and how you deal with companies whatever they throw at you.
My blog should help you understand what to do to complain to a company, and what you should expect to get in return.
I will explain the tactics companies use to brush you off and how to dodge them.
And I’ll hopefully help you get what you deserve when things do go wrong.