Satisfaction Guaranteed

ANCHOR LEAD IN:
EVER FEEL UNSATISFIED WITH SHODDY SERVICE OR BAD REPAIR JOBS? IF SO YOU'RE NOT ALONE. IN TODAY'S HEADS UP, _________ SHOWS YOU HOW TO TAKE CHARGE AND GET THE SATISFACTION YOU DESERVE.

TRACK ONE Length: :08
KAREN LOVE TRAVELS A LOT IN HER JOB AS AN ADVOCATE FOR THE ELDERLY. SHE COUNTS ON HER CAR. WHEN AN AUTO BODY SHOP DAMAGED HER STEERING WHEEL, SHE COMPLAINED.

SOT:
KEY @: :10 Karen Love, Fought to get better car service
"They said that it was just an age issue on my five year old car, and it wasn't their problem."

TRACK TWO Length: :08
LOVE SAYS THE WHEEL LOOKED FINE WHEN SHE BROUGHT THE CAR IN, BUT SOME KIND OF SOLVENT DISSOLVED PARTS OF IT. AND, FIXING IT WOULD HAVE COST A THOUSAND DOLLARS! SO...

SOT
KEY @: :25 Karen Love, Fought to get better car service
"After trying to work this internally with the company, I thought about small claims court."

TRACK THREE Length: :10
FRUSTRATION WITH CUSTOMER SERVICE IS GROWING IN THE U-S. IN FACT, AT THE WEBSITE C0NSUMERAFFAIRS.COM, THEY RECEIVE TWO TO THREE HUNDRED NEW COMPLAINTS EVERY SINGLE DAY.

SOT
KEY @: :40 Jim Hood, President, ConsumerAffairs.com
"I would say it's getting steadily worse, that as businesses try to economize and cut staff and automate their processes, the customer often ends up being left in the lurch."

TRACK FOUR Length: :05
WHAT SHOULD CONSUMERS DO? START BY ASKING THEM TO FIX THE PROBLEM. BUT KEEP IN MIND...

SOT
KEY @: :56 Jim Hood, President, ConsumerAffairs.com
"It's really not a good idea for consumers to get mad and start shouting at people."

TRACK FIVE Length: :13
IF ASKING NICELY DOESN'T WORK, TRY CONTACTING THE OWNER OR MANAGER. EXPLAIN THAT YOU'RE NOT GOING AWAY UNTIL THE PROBLEM'S RESOLVED. NEXT, LOOK FOR CONSUMER GROUP TO ADVOCATE ON YOUR BEHALF. OR CONTACT THE LICENSING AGENCY REGULATES THE INDUSTRY...

SOT
NO KEY Jim Hood, President, ConsumerAffairs.com
"Once your money is gone, It's very, very difficult to get it back."

TRACK SIX Length: :10
AND IF YOU STILL DIDN'T GET A RESULT ...YOU CAN TAKE IT TO SMALL CLAIMS COURT. THAT MAY BE A LAST RESORT, BUT IT CAN WORK...LOVE FILED A CLAIM AGAINST THE AUTO SHOP, AND THEN WENT AWAY ON VACATION...

SOT:
NO KEY
"When I got back, I had 11 phone messages from the auto body shop asking if we couldn't resolve the problem."

ANCHOR TAG:
LOVE ENDED UP RESOLVING HER PROBLEM. AND
HOOD SAYS THAT THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSON OF ALL IS 'FOREWARNED IS FORE-ARMED'. HE SAYS THE INTERNET GIVES US LOTS OF OPPORTUNITY TO CHECK OUT WHAT OTHER CONSUMERS THINK OF A COMPANY OR PRODUCT BEFORE WE MAKE OUR PURCHASING DECISIONS. SO, DO YOUR RESEARCH BEFORE YOU END UP OUT SOME OF YOUR HARD-EARNED CASH.

SOURCE INFORMATION:

Jim Hood
President
ConsumerAffairs.Com
Suite 800
11350 Random Hills Road
Fairfax VA 22030
Phone 703 359-6800 Fax 800 779-0816

Jim Hood if the Founder and CEO of ConsumerAffairs.com, and a veteran journalist and public affairs executive. Hood was Deputy Director/Broadcast Services for The Associated Press, Senior Vice President of United Press International and Founder and CEO of Zapnews, an independent news service later sold to ABC News.

ConsumerAffairs.Com, founded in 1998, is an independent consumer publication. We are supported solely by advertising revenue and do not solicit or accept grants or donations from corporations, foundations or government agencies.