"Press 1 for our customer service department..."


I taught a lesson to a class about 10 years ago that I think was one of the most useful things I ever shared with my students. It's a lesson for consumers of any age, so I thought it would be great to share here too.

Why is it that people get nervous about telling a company how they really feel about a product or service? They complain they don't like something to friends or family, but then never do anything about it. I get so aggravated when I see that happening. We are consumers. We pay good money(too much these days) for goods and services from companies and people we trust. Sure, sometimes it's just what we hoped for, and positive feedback for a job well done or product satisfaction is nice too. But it's our job, as the paying consumers, to let these businesses know how we feel. How else are they going to improve their attitudes, products, food, etc?

I like to voice my opinion and sometimes a bit loudly. As long as I've been in the consumer market I've been telling businesses how I feel. Sure, sometimes it falls on deaf ears, sometimes they yell back. But sometimes, they are pleased to have the feedback, and compensate me for my time, ideas, problems, etc. Some things I've gotten over the years are: $30 diaper coupons(that's $30 each coupon!), tons of free food coupons, new jackets, new sneakers, product logo hats and bags. I can go on and on. Sometimes I write letters, sometimes I make phone calls, and sometimes I just walk right into the store.

When I was teaching 6th grade many moons ago I decided to teach my class about being a good consumer. I asked them all if they were ever unhappy with a product or business. Strangely, even at that age most of them were. We worked together on letter writing and each student sent a letter to a company of their choice. After a few weeks of waiting replies started to come in! Some got freebies, some coupons. I remember one girl telling a film company she couldn't find b&w film anywhere and they sent her a few rolls! And while not all students received a reply or a compensation, it was proof to them that they matter. Their feedback was important, even at such a young age.

So if you have something you like to grumble or rave about, try a call or letter. You never know what you might get!

Comments

  1. AnonymousNovember 11, 2009 at 2:15 PM

    Mark and I used to buy a lot of "Tropicana Twisters" juice. And then they changed it! We were unhappy because it wasn't very good. We left feedback on their website. Little did we know, but lots of people must have left the same feedback because a few months later, they changed it back!

    ReplyDelete

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