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- 01-29-2005, 10:58 PM #1Cell UserGuest
Web redefines complaint department
By Deb Kollars -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Tuesday, January 25, 2005
We've all been there: Punching furiously at the buttons of a VCR that
won't record. Sitting on hold for half an hour waiting for someone to
explain the cell phone bill. Fuming in an airport after finding out
your flight has been canceled.
Until now, you could yell. Or plead politely. Maybe summon a
supervisor. Or write a nasty letter.
UCDavis Health
But these days, you have another option: Join the legions of consumers
taking their frustrations and fury to the Internet.
One after another over the past several years, sites devoted to
consumer complaints have been popping up on the Web.
With clever names like Complaincomplain.net, Thesqueakywheel.com and
Planetfeedback.com, the sites are drawing people from across the globe
seeking a solution to their consumer problems or, at the least, a
chance to vent. On the sites, you will find rants about everything
from defective dishwashers to bad haircuts to fast food that didn't
come fast enough.
It is a powerful trend, both for consumers and those seeking their
business, said Lee Rainie, director of the Pew Internet & American
Life Project in Washington, D.C.
"People don't have to talk one-on-one with the store clerk anymore,"
Rainie said. "They can take their complaint to the world. That vastly
alters the balance of power."
The recent proliferation of Internet complaint venues is part of a
broad new continuum in which regular folks can write reviews of books
on Amazon.com or rate recipes at Epicurious.com. In a study last fall,
the Pew project found that 26 percent of adult Internet users - more
than 33 million people - have gone online to rate a service, product
or person.
"It's community-building. It's empowering," Rainie said. "It puts new
tools in the hands of consumers."
In some cases, the Web sites are simple posting outlets, free of
charge and open for all to see. Most offer a search option, enabling
consumers to research brands or business names before making a
purchase.
Some sites take the added step of forwarding complaints to businesses,
and sending a follow-up e-mail to companies each time a complaint gets
viewed on the Internet. Still other venues write formal letters to
businesses on behalf of dissatisfied consumers.
"Every year it gets bigger," said Matthew Smith, a Naperville, Ill.,
businessman who created his site, Complaints.com, four years ago. The
site, which does not charge, has 75,000 posted complaints; more than
half came during the past year and a half. The site has 30,000
individual hits a day, he said.
"It's a powerful way to solve problems," Smith said. "Businesses
generally don't like it when their dirty laundry is aired. The
Internet is all about sharing and discussing openly."
Businesses may post responses, he said, though few do.
Many companies would prefer to hear directly from consumers.
"Customer feedback is invaluable to us," said Lauren Garner,
spokeswoman for Cingular Wireless, based in Pleasanton. "But we would
prefer our customers contact us directly by phone," she said, noting
that e-mailed complaints often do not have all the information the
firm needs to resolve a problem.
Mark Fratella of Detroit runs Complain complain. net. For $10.95, he
writes complaint letters to businesses and forwards the letters when
appropriate to the Better Business Bureau and government officials.
Ninety-five percent of the time, he said, consumers get a response
from the company, and in 80 percent of cases, the problem gets
resolved. Resolutions have ranged from coupons to make up for bad fast
food to reimbursement for a botched $6,000 construction project, he
said.
David Rarden of Folsom, who blitzed the Internet with complaints about
a new motor home, believes that without his cyber-complaints, he
wouldn't have gotten his money back.
Rarden went to every Internet complaint site he could find in late
2003, after buying a $150,000 motor home from Dan Gamel RV Center in
Rocklin that he said was loaded with defects.
"I basically just embarrassed them into resolving it," he said.
Mike Moreland, general manager at the dealership, said he had never
heard of such Web sites before, and was shocked when the e-mails began
arriving.
"Every time somebody looked at one of these Web sites, I'd get an
e-mail," he recalled. "I'm going, 'What the heck is going on?' "
Moreland acknowledged that pressure from the Web sites played a role
in the two parties getting together and canceling the RV purchase, but
stressed that the dealership would have resolved the issue in the same
manner without the Internet tirades.
Moreland now monitors the sites for other complaints. So far, he said,
he has encountered none involving his store.
According to the site operators, the most frequent complaints involve
large warehouse-style merchandisers, airlines and tech-related firms
such as wireless companies.
But the overall sweep of e-complaints is vast and mind-boggling. Among
the thousands of angry postings:
"Puppy not from the Netherlands."
"Coming apart at the seams."
"Don't let Roger install your tile."
"Mastercuts made my sister look like a leopard."
Some complaints are frivolous. Others are heartbreaking. One woman
from Davis posted a complaint so long it took four pages,
single-spaced, to print it out. Elderly and disabled, she rode buses
to try to return a defective VCR, got sent home because she didn't
have the remote control, suffered through an unexpected stroke and
heart surgery, and then, when she finally returned to the store with
all the parts, was denied an exchange because too much time had
elapsed.
Ron Rosenberg, a business consultant from Raleigh, N.C., with a site
called Driveyounuts. com, said he is not surprised by such
discouraging tales. In a survey of his clients two years ago, he found
61 percent believed customer service had gotten worse in recent years.
"If people don't speak up, there's no impetus for companies to
change," said Rosenberg, whose fee-based site provides consumers with
sample letters and other resolution strategies.
John Tschohl, a Minneapolis author and consultant who works with
companies to improve customer service, agreed: "Anytime we can get a
consumer to complain, it's good," he said. "If you complain and the
company responds, you've got a great company. Stay with it. If they
don't respond, don't give them your money anymore."
Although many perceive a growing problem with customer satisfaction, a
respected annual survey by the University of Michigan's business
school has found satisfaction levels actually have improved in recent
years.
But complaints still run high for many industries, particularly with
regard to customer service, said Claes Fornell, a University of
Michigan business professor and director of the American Customer
Satisfaction Index.
The rise of Internet complaints, said Rainie of the Pew project, may
be partly a reflection of our changing world:
So many new things to buy.
So many new ways to spend our time.
So many new opportunities for people to be let down.
About the writer:
* The Bee's Deb Kollars can be reached at (916) 321-1090.
Web sites to visit:
According to the Pew Internet & American Life Project, 26 percent of
adult Internet users have gone online to rate a service, product or
person. Here is a look at some of the sites developed to capture and
share consumer experiences and frustration about companies, products
and services.
* www.complaincomplain.net: Fee-based letters of complaint composed
and sent to businesses.
* Complaints.com: Free site where complaints are posted.
* Driveyounuts.com: Fee-based site for sample letters and resolution
strategies.
* Fightback.com: Consumer forums and fee-based consumer services.
* My3cents.com: Open forum to share good and bad experiences, and some
fee-based consumer services.
* Planetfeedback.com: Free site for questions, suggestions and
compliments, as well as complaints about companies or industries.
* Thesqueakywheel.com: Fee-based site automatically adds complaints to
Internet search engines.
Source: Bee research
http://www.sacbee.com/content/busine...13005384c.html
› See More: Look what Cingulat has to say about complaints
- 01-30-2005, 12:06 PM #2tombaGuest
Re: Look what Cingulat has to say about complaints
"Joseph" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news[email protected]...
> This crap doesn't say *anything* about "cingulat." Why couldn't you
> at least be honest!
Are you complaining that he didn't ***** "Cingular" correctly, or did you
just not see the entire paragraph about Cingular (copied below)?
"Many companies would prefer to hear directly from consumers.
"Customer feedback is invaluable to us," said Lauren Garner,
spokeswoman for Cingular Wireless, based in Pleasanton. "But we would
prefer our customers contact us directly by phone," she said, noting
that e-mailed complaints often do not have all the information the
firm needs to resolve a problem."
Tom
>
> On Sat, 29 Jan 2005 23:58:34 -0500, Cell User
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >Web redefines complaint department
> >By Deb Kollars -- Bee Staff Writer
> >Published 2:15 am PST Tuesday, January 25, 2005
> >
> >We've all been there: Punching furiously at the buttons of a VCR that
> >won't record. Sitting on hold for half an hour waiting for someone to
> >explain the cell phone bill. Fuming in an airport after finding out
> >your flight has been canceled.
> >
> >Until now, you could yell. Or plead politely. Maybe summon a
> >supervisor. Or write a nasty letter.
> >
> >UCDavis Health
> >But these days, you have another option: Join the legions of consumers
> >taking their frustrations and fury to the Internet.
> >
> >One after another over the past several years, sites devoted to
> >consumer complaints have been popping up on the Web.
> >
> >With clever names like Complaincomplain.net, Thesqueakywheel.com and
> >Planetfeedback.com, the sites are drawing people from across the globe
> >seeking a solution to their consumer problems or, at the least, a
> >chance to vent. On the sites, you will find rants about everything
> >from defective dishwashers to bad haircuts to fast food that didn't
> >come fast enough.
> >
> >It is a powerful trend, both for consumers and those seeking their
> >business, said Lee Rainie, director of the Pew Internet & American
> >Life Project in Washington, D.C.
> >
> >"People don't have to talk one-on-one with the store clerk anymore,"
> >Rainie said. "They can take their complaint to the world. That vastly
> >alters the balance of power."
> >
> >The recent proliferation of Internet complaint venues is part of a
> >broad new continuum in which regular folks can write reviews of books
> >on Amazon.com or rate recipes at Epicurious.com. In a study last fall,
> >the Pew project found that 26 percent of adult Internet users - more
> >than 33 million people - have gone online to rate a service, product
> >or person.
> >
> >"It's community-building. It's empowering," Rainie said. "It puts new
> >tools in the hands of consumers."
> >
> >In some cases, the Web sites are simple posting outlets, free of
> >charge and open for all to see. Most offer a search option, enabling
> >consumers to research brands or business names before making a
> >purchase.
> >
> >Some sites take the added step of forwarding complaints to businesses,
> >and sending a follow-up e-mail to companies each time a complaint gets
> >viewed on the Internet. Still other venues write formal letters to
> >businesses on behalf of dissatisfied consumers.
> >
> >"Every year it gets bigger," said Matthew Smith, a Naperville, Ill.,
> >businessman who created his site, Complaints.com, four years ago. The
> >site, which does not charge, has 75,000 posted complaints; more than
> >half came during the past year and a half. The site has 30,000
> >individual hits a day, he said.
> >
> >"It's a powerful way to solve problems," Smith said. "Businesses
> >generally don't like it when their dirty laundry is aired. The
> >Internet is all about sharing and discussing openly."
> >
> >Businesses may post responses, he said, though few do.
> >
> >Many companies would prefer to hear directly from consumers.
> >
> >"Customer feedback is invaluable to us," said Lauren Garner,
> >spokeswoman for Cingular Wireless, based in Pleasanton. "But we would
> >prefer our customers contact us directly by phone," she said, noting
> >that e-mailed complaints often do not have all the information the
> >firm needs to resolve a problem.
> >
> >Mark Fratella of Detroit runs Complain complain. net. For $10.95, he
> >writes complaint letters to businesses and forwards the letters when
> >appropriate to the Better Business Bureau and government officials.
> >
> >Ninety-five percent of the time, he said, consumers get a response
> >from the company, and in 80 percent of cases, the problem gets
> >resolved. Resolutions have ranged from coupons to make up for bad fast
> >food to reimbursement for a botched $6,000 construction project, he
> >said.
> >
> >David Rarden of Folsom, who blitzed the Internet with complaints about
> >a new motor home, believes that without his cyber-complaints, he
> >wouldn't have gotten his money back.
> >
> >Rarden went to every Internet complaint site he could find in late
> >2003, after buying a $150,000 motor home from Dan Gamel RV Center in
> >Rocklin that he said was loaded with defects.
> >
> >"I basically just embarrassed them into resolving it," he said.
> >
> >Mike Moreland, general manager at the dealership, said he had never
> >heard of such Web sites before, and was shocked when the e-mails began
> >arriving.
> >
> >"Every time somebody looked at one of these Web sites, I'd get an
> >e-mail," he recalled. "I'm going, 'What the heck is going on?' "
> >
> >Moreland acknowledged that pressure from the Web sites played a role
> >in the two parties getting together and canceling the RV purchase, but
> >stressed that the dealership would have resolved the issue in the same
> >manner without the Internet tirades.
> >
> >Moreland now monitors the sites for other complaints. So far, he said,
> >he has encountered none involving his store.
> >
> >According to the site operators, the most frequent complaints involve
> >large warehouse-style merchandisers, airlines and tech-related firms
> >such as wireless companies.
> >
> >But the overall sweep of e-complaints is vast and mind-boggling. Among
> >the thousands of angry postings:
> >
> >"Puppy not from the Netherlands."
> >
> >"Coming apart at the seams."
> >
> >"Don't let Roger install your tile."
> >
> >"Mastercuts made my sister look like a leopard."
> >
> >Some complaints are frivolous. Others are heartbreaking. One woman
> >from Davis posted a complaint so long it took four pages,
> >single-spaced, to print it out. Elderly and disabled, she rode buses
> >to try to return a defective VCR, got sent home because she didn't
> >have the remote control, suffered through an unexpected stroke and
> >heart surgery, and then, when she finally returned to the store with
> >all the parts, was denied an exchange because too much time had
> >elapsed.
> >
> >Ron Rosenberg, a business consultant from Raleigh, N.C., with a site
> >called Driveyounuts. com, said he is not surprised by such
> >discouraging tales. In a survey of his clients two years ago, he found
> >61 percent believed customer service had gotten worse in recent years.
> >
> >"If people don't speak up, there's no impetus for companies to
> >change," said Rosenberg, whose fee-based site provides consumers with
> >sample letters and other resolution strategies.
> >
> >John Tschohl, a Minneapolis author and consultant who works with
> >companies to improve customer service, agreed: "Anytime we can get a
> >consumer to complain, it's good," he said. "If you complain and the
> >company responds, you've got a great company. Stay with it. If they
> >don't respond, don't give them your money anymore."
> >
> >Although many perceive a growing problem with customer satisfaction, a
> >respected annual survey by the University of Michigan's business
> >school has found satisfaction levels actually have improved in recent
> >years.
> >
> >But complaints still run high for many industries, particularly with
> >regard to customer service, said Claes Fornell, a University of
> >Michigan business professor and director of the American Customer
> >Satisfaction Index.
> >
> >The rise of Internet complaints, said Rainie of the Pew project, may
> >be partly a reflection of our changing world:
> >
> >So many new things to buy.
> >
> >So many new ways to spend our time.
> >
> >So many new opportunities for people to be let down.
> >
> > About the writer:
> >
> > * The Bee's Deb Kollars can be reached at (916) 321-1090.
> >
> >Web sites to visit:
> >According to the Pew Internet & American Life Project, 26 percent of
> >adult Internet users have gone online to rate a service, product or
> >person. Here is a look at some of the sites developed to capture and
> >share consumer experiences and frustration about companies, products
> >and services.
> >
> >* www.complaincomplain.net: Fee-based letters of complaint composed
> >and sent to businesses.
> >
> >* Complaints.com: Free site where complaints are posted.
> >
> >* Driveyounuts.com: Fee-based site for sample letters and resolution
> >strategies.
> >
> >* Fightback.com: Consumer forums and fee-based consumer services.
> >
> >* My3cents.com: Open forum to share good and bad experiences, and some
> >fee-based consumer services.
> >
> >* Planetfeedback.com: Free site for questions, suggestions and
> >compliments, as well as complaints about companies or industries.
> >
> >* Thesqueakywheel.com: Fee-based site automatically adds complaints to
> >Internet search engines.
> >
> >Source: Bee research
> >
>
>http://www.sacbee.com/content/busine...13005384c.html
>
> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
>
- 01-31-2005, 09:30 PM #3John NavasGuest
Re: Look what Cingulat has to say about complaints
[POSTED TO alt.cellular.attws - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]
In <[email protected]> on Sat, 29 Jan 2005 23:58:34 -0500,
Cell User <[email protected]> wrote:
>Web redefines complaint department
>By Deb Kollars -- Bee Staff Writer
>Published 2:15 am PST Tuesday, January 25, 2005
>
>We've all been there: Punching furiously at the buttons of a VCR that
>won't record. Sitting on hold for half an hour waiting for someone to
>explain the cell phone bill. Fuming in an airport after finding out
>your flight has been canceled.
>
>Until now, you could yell. Or plead politely. Maybe summon a
>supervisor. Or write a nasty letter.
>
>UCDavis Health
>But these days, you have another option: Join the legions of consumers
>taking their frustrations and fury to the Internet.
>...
Or better yet, unless you have lots of free time to waste, cut your losses and
move on.
--
Best regards, HELP FOR CINGULAR GSM & SONY ERICSSON PHONES:
John Navas <http://navasgrp.home.att.net/#Cingular>
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