The
scene: When Dorinda Keeling and her husband stopped at their bank's
ATM to withdraw $100 from their account, they were astonished when they
only received $80. After checking the machine and the ground around it,
they talked to bank officials, only to be told there was no mistake. But
Keeling knew otherwise.
After bank officials dismissed the Keelings' problem, Dorinda aired her grievance online at Complaints.com and filed another complaint with the Better Business Bureau.
Eventually, the bank refunded Dorinda Keeling's money, but refused to admit to the mistake.
"They stated they were returning my money on behalf of customer courtesy," she says. While she appreciated the return of her money, what she really wanted was an apology.
Says Levy: Know your recourses. Remember, some outsource their customer service to other companies. In fact, the customer service representative to whom you're speaking could be half a world away.
Ask for a supervisor, and if you don't get satisfaction that way, ask for his or her supervisor. If it's appropriate, take the matter to a government agency. File a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. If the company belongs to a trade association, see if the association has a complaint process.
"Start at the base level,"
Levy says. "And be persistent. Don't just accept a 'Gee, I'm sorry, we
can't help you.'"
