Help for burned clients

As I have travelled a lot in my career and am familiar with “early departure” charges some hotels try to impose during busy seasons, so I asked to see where anything I had signed upon checking in indicated I would be liable for the full amount of my reservation, regardless of when I checked out. Of course, there was no such restriction, so I felt quite free to refuse to pay for any additional nights and headed for the door.

That’s when she threatened to call the police to tell them I was “skipping” without paying my bill.

Now, to provide some perspective: this was a small resort in a small town in upstate New York, and I immediately had visions of being chased down the mountain road by a siren-wailing, shotgun-toting local sheriff who was probably related in some way to the resort operator. If he didn’t get me on the “theft” charge, I am pretty sure he would have found something else.

So, discretion won out over valour and I finally settled the matter by paying for the extra three nights in exchange for a credit in that amount that I could use anytime in the next 12 months. (Not much chance of that!)

Ever had a similar experience – with a hotel, airline, telecom company, bank, retailer, house builder or any other purveyor of products and services? My guess is that most people have and, in many instances, the outcome has been as unsatisfactory as mine. If so, then you need to read Ellen Roseman’s new book, Fight Back: 81 Ways to Save Money and Protect Yourself from Corporate Trickery.

Roseman is a longtime consumer advocate and personal finance columnist for the Toronto Star. Her tenacity on behalf of disgruntled consumers is well documented in her column, and it would be easy to assume that her ability to get results is tied to the inherent power that comes from threats to expose publicly any villainous product and service providers.

Roseman admits, however, that even she is unsuccessful at times. Her advice in the book offers suggestions that every consumer can act upon to improve their chances of satisfaction. Roseman’s underlying strategy for the resolution of almost any complaint is:

– read the fine print;

– know your rights;

– be polite but firm;

– remind suppliers of your value as a customer;

– escalate your complaint to the highest level in the organization;

– suggest you will tell lots of other people about your experience, for example, via social media;

– take advantage of regulations and avenues of recourse, such as ombudsmen and trade organizations.

The book is divided into seven sections; each represents a segment of commerce that often draws complaints.

Part 1, the largest section, covers the banks and includes chapters on reducing service fees, negotiating interest rates on debt and deposits, finding the best credit cards and avoiding mortgage penalties, as well as dealing with other annoying bank behaviour.

Part 2 deals with keeping your finances orderly. This section has great advice on understanding and managing your credit rating. It also contains suggestions on what you can do if you feel the advice you received from a financial advisor was inappropriate. (No self-respecting advisor should be threatened by making this information available to their clients.)

In Part 3, Roseman discusses the challenges of taming telecom costs. At times, some of these examples can seem like a movie you’ve seen before because the stories are so familiar (and perhaps real experiences for many readers). Canadians suffer from some of the highest telecom costs in North America, so we have every right to expect the best standards of service and respect.

Other parts of the book have tips on managing lost luggage claims, overbooked flights, out-of-country medical expenses and travel reward points, as well as avoiding trouble when booking travel online, which is increasingly popular.

The final section offers advice on how to use your communication skills and the courts to assist you in seeking a better outcome.

While the book could hardly be considered an all-inclusive instruction manual on how to ensure maximum satisfaction as a consumer – each chapter is only two or three pages long – it is a valuable reference that many people would be happy to have on hand.

This book would make a great gift for clients. Note that the ebook version is half the price of the printed version.

Fight Back: 81 Ways to Save Money and Protect Yourself from Corporate Trickery

by Ellen Roseman, Wiley;

279 pages, $22.95 (print) or $11.99 (ebook)

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