I should start with a brief explanation. Bruce Silverman was an expert witness on a case that I worked on. Bruce is the best advertising expert witness you could ever want for your litigation. He is amazing. I knew nothing, other than that I fast forward through commercials on a regular basis, and he made me feel like an expert by the end of the case. Plus, he is a great guy and a lot of fun to work with.
You may have seen Bruce on 20/20. His book is called How to Complain for Fun and Profit. It's all about praising with faint damn. The letters included in this book are literary masterpieces and should be a part of every frugal readers library. Bruce has the ability craft a complaint letter that gets him big returns.
I have had success, although I cannot discuss the particulars, using Bruce's techniques. It really does work. You simply have to take the time to do it. And, frankly, if I have the time to write this post, I should have the time to write a short letter to a company who has wronged me in some way.
I should have written a letter to Air Tran after the debacle they caused with our airline tickets after my grandmother passed away. But it was not a good time for me. I still should have written that letter. We had a legitimate issue and probably could have gotten a free flight out of it.
First, get this book and read it. You will be amazed by Bruce's results. Second, have you written complaint letters? What were your results?
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{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
I don’t remember writing any letters but I’ve perfected the complaint call. My mom always makes me call for her. My biggest wins that I can remember are a new iPod (the problem wasn’t with Apple) and a $200 gift card. I like to call when I have plenty of time. I’m never in a hurry and I think that ends up coming out in my voice.
I turn into a shrieking howler monkey on the phone, so I try and stick with letters. I used to write bitchy letters. Then I read Bruce’s book. Masterpieces. Now I have something to aim for when I write. I love the loyal customer who has been wronged approach.
Free iPod sounds damn good. Nice work. I’ll have to try being nicer on the phone. The problem usually starts when they mispronounce my name or they begin their web of lies and I can take it no more.
Ha! Oh yes. Big box stores and their lying ways. For some reason, I got the extended warranty on my iPod and the store tried to wiggle out of honoring it. I had to pull out the contract and read to them the clause about replacing the iPod. I have to admit that it felt good when the smartass said “I guess everyone thinks they’re a lawyer because they watched Law & Order” and I got to say “I don’t know about everyone but I know that I’m a lawyer because I graduated from law school and passed the bar exam.” That shut her up! I got my iPod the next week.
There are definitely times when it is super enjoyable to play the lawyer card. And please, as if Law & Order ever deals with breach of warranty issues. I’d like to see an issue that deals with my life and the world of contract litigation!
I would love to check that book out. I speak up and complain when things go wrong. The last complaint letter I wrote was three years ago and I only got a generic reply. I think it was a general complaint about how incompetent the people I was dealing with was. Complaints are most successful in service industries in my experience.