Last updated January 30, 20262
There’s much to complain about in modern life, from flights that depart five hours late (or not at all) to deliveries that don’t show up to repair services that fail to fix stuff. Even if consumers do their homework before making a purchase or contracting for a service, things can go wrong.
Although most of us gripe about lousy businesses to family and friends, few of us—studies indicate it’s about one in four—complain to the companies that did us wrong. Many consumers remain silent because it seems like too much trouble to complain, or they want to avoid confrontations. Others don’t complain because they think it won’t help—the warranty expired a week ago, so the store won’t do anything. But, in my experience, telling a company—especially a reputable one—that things didn’t go well often produces good results.
The trick is to complain effectively, and diligently follow up.
“You need to select the audience for your complaints carefully. Don’t incessantly tell your neighbor about your lousy internet service—tell the cable company,” said Robin Kowalski, a psychology professor at Clemson University who has extensively studied complaining. “If you don’t complain, the company can’t make amends, and the problem will persist for other consumers.”
Here are ways to complain more effectively.
Go to the Top
To get results, try to let the company’s owner or a manager know you are dissatisfied. With a large business, start with the customer service team. But if that doesn’t work, get the email address or phone number for the company’s CEO or president. Although the company’s big cheese probably won’t handle your complaint personally, their staff will likely give it to someone who can help—and who is more likely to respond to a request from the top.
“It’s usually about sheer persistence—stay on the phone with customer service, keep asking for the manager’s manager,” Kowalski said.
If your gripe involves a product that you bought or had installed, contact the manufacturer. You might get satisfaction via a free warranty repair. Even if your problem wasn’t due to a manufacturing defect, the company may want to settle your claim rather than risk your ill will.
Succinctly Explain Your Problem
Complain in writing, stating the facts as you view them, why you feel entitled to relief, and how the company can make amends. Keep your request reasonable and short. For example, don’t ask for a full refund on a home improvement project if four out of five tasks were performed correctly.
Be Firm but Polite
Use firm language but avoid threats; no one responds well to hostility. Even if you believe you were intentionally cheated, don’t utter words like “crook,” “criminal,” “incompetent,” or worse. Even when consumers clearly are in the right, if they speak rudely or unreasonably then business owners often respond in kind—and what could have been a calm (and quick) resolution escalates into a feud.
Charly Rok, a New York marketing executive, recently stayed in a hotel where the hot water stopped working. Though she told the front desk, the problem wasn’t fixed quickly enough for her to shower before a big meeting. Later, she asked to speak to a manager. “I was complimentary of the hotel and the staff and then shared that there was no hot water on the last day of my visit,” Rok said. “The manager apologized, sympathized, and added points to my loyalty program equivalent to a single night stay. I thought the solution was completely fair.”
Document It
When complaining in writing, provide copies of relevant documents such as contracts, invoices, receipts, and previous correspondence. Photos chronicling your problems—a snapshot of the headboard that arrived damaged or a close-up of a poorly done paint job can help explain why you’re unhappy.
“Have your ducks in a row before you approach someone—your receipt, your contract, the date you bought that gadget and the date it broke,” Kowalski said. “The more specific you are, the more likely you are to get a favorable response.”
Take to Social Media
Another option is to post your complaint—and your desired resolution—on social media sites and tag the business. This forces the company to decide whether it wants to attract good or bad publicity from your dispute. Many companies have staff who monitor social media to resolve complaints quickly and show how responsive they are to customers.
That’s what Lawrence Luk, a photographer in the San Francisco Bay Area, did recently. “When my internet was mysteriously out for two days, I couldn’t get through to the provider’s customer service,” he said. “So I made an Instagram story and tagged them, and heard back in a few minutes. Not only did the company give me a discount that month, they explained what was happening. It gave me peace of mind.”
Keep trying: Still no favorable resolution? Complain again. With large companies, ask for your case to be “escalated” to the next manager on the corporate customer service food chain. Unfortunately, you might have to fight (politely!) through several layers of staff to reach a resolution.
It once took me six months of complaining to get a car rental company to refund a $250 cleaning fee for a vehicle I returned to its Zurich airport location. (The manager there apparently decided my kids left behind an unacceptable amount of crumbs.) Did I have better things to do than call Alamo a dozen times to request they escalate my complaint? Dear reader, I sure did. But I eventually got my money back.
Dispute the Charge with Your Credit Card Company
We often urge consumers to pay with credit cards. That’s because the federal Fair Credit Billing Act and the policies of credit card issuers provide enormous leverage by allowing you to withhold payment for goods and services you believe are defective or not delivered as promised.
After you’ve tried unsuccessfully to resolve the matter with the service provider, contact your credit card bank to dispute the charge (you usually can do this even after you’ve paid the bill). Once you’ve requested this “chargeback,” your credit card bank will place a hold on the disputed charge and investigate. The service provider can protest the chargeback, but sellers rarely successfully reverse chargebacks if the customer has returned (or tried to return) the goods or can document the service defect.
Ask a Local Government Agency for Help
Another option is to file a complaint with a government consumer agency. Your most broad-reaching resource is the Office of the Minnesota Attorney General, which has legal authority over many types of businesses. You can complain to the Attorney General’s office even if you’re not sure it has jurisdiction over your complaint: It will refer matters it can’t handle to another state agency or a federal agency.
The matter might be resolved via phone or email, but the AG’s office may also perform inspections, gather evidence from third parties, do legal or technical research, or mediate the dispute. The Attorney General’s staff might go beyond resolving your complaint; they might get the merchant to agree to change business practices and/or provide relief to additional aggrieved consumers; or they might force the business to pay penalties.
Ask a Private Agency to Step In
In addition to government consumer agencies, you can seek help from a private agency, such as the Better Business Bureau or Call For Action. But government agencies have the force of law behind them. Governments can conduct formal investigations and use law enforcement tools such as subpoena power to obtain the facts that will help them negotiate a settlement on your behalf. Government consumer offices can pursue legal action if evidence shows the merchant has violated the law.
Take the business or contractor to small claims court
Most courts have advisers to help you prepare your case. Unfortunately, the fine print of many contracts and the terms and conditions of most online businesses now include a prohibition on lawsuits; instead, you’ll have to seek restitution via the company’s arbitration program, which is often an onerous process.