Less than satisfactory products

[Ed62]

If you buy something that doesn't work as expected, do you call the company to complain, or do you just forget about it? I'm not talking about products that cost very much, but items you'll likely find at a grocery store.

Ed

[cgallery]

Only rarely. If it just isn't to my taste (like it is something that I haven't tried before), I just chalk it up to experience.

I did have a very small rock in my trail mix (purchased at WalMart) break a tooth. They stepped up to the plate and paid for all the bills to fix the tooth. When I brought to their attention that there was an item on one bill that wasn't part of the issue, they said it was an insignificant amount and they'd just as soon pay out everything on the statements. I thought that was pretty decent.

[cabinetman]

You mean like Rice Krispies® that don't go "snap", "crackle", and "pop"?
.

[LCHIEN]

it depends.
If its a new outfit to me, I frequently just write them off and say never again, I figure enuf people do that they will be out of business.

If I do business with them regularly, and I'm disappointed, I will try and let them know through the web. It hardly ever seems to get notice though, just a form note and sometimes a coupon.

I think many companies depend on repeat customers. They should really pay more attention to complaint. Lose your regulars and you will be history.

[Uncle Cracker]

I look at it this way: A company will often have no other way to know if their product is of acceptable quality if nobody tells them. So, I do often let them know because, if it were me, I'd want to know. I've had responses that vary from very appreciative to very nasty, and some don't bother to respond at all. That all factors into my future decisions.

[Bill in Buena Park]

I don't generally call to complain, but I may return the item and leave a less-than-favorable review.

[thestinker]

It just depends. How much it cost, how bad was it, and do I think it will be worth my time to fool with complaining or returning.

Riley

[Richard in Smithville]

If it's a quality problem, I'll bring it to the customer service departments attention. I inform them that I use their product because of their attention to small details, etc, they should be made aware of a possible problem that could damage their image. This approach usually brings a swift response and often coupons for free product.

If it's just a bad product, I avoid it in future purchases.

[atgcpaul]

I said "No" because in most cases (grocery items), I just don't buy it again. I
figure it's just not my taste. In college, I wrote General Mills that their
cereal had the texture of horse feed. They sent me a coupon for a free box
of a different ceral.

However, if it's a product that's broken before it's time is up, then yes. I've
contacted Orbit to get a new garden spray wand and a BBQ company when
their gas gauge went kaput.

[Pappy]

I didn't vote because there are too many variables involved like those mentioned by others. I am more likely to make a personal complaint when it is a service issue.

[herb fellows]

I look at it this way: A company will often have no other way to know if their product is of acceptable quality if nobody tells them. So, I do often let them know because, if it were me, I'd want to know. I've had responses that vary from very appreciative to very nasty, and some don't bother to respond at all. That all factors into my future decisions.

My thoughts exactly! I don't want everyone telling me my product is wonderful and then just stop buying it. If you don't like it, I want to know why. More often than not, the customer has a legitimate complaint and that helps me to improve my product.

[cwsmith]

You bet I do. Not only do I call the producer/manufacturer, I take the darn thing back for a refund. Money comes much too hard to throw away on bad products or services.

Food products are a real peeve of mine, I'm sick of products that are stale, in spite of the fact that the label says it's good until whatever. Bread, for example, is not good for two or three weeks after it first appears on the shelf. Also, products that are just poor in quality or taste or entirely mis-represented. I noticed in the last year a brand of TV dinners that now offer "Meat" dishes... totally unidentifiable, sort of like Soylent Green.

Recent "you can't get away with this" complaints, just this past month:

Ocean Spray "100% Juice - Cranberry" On first taste, the question was, where's the cranberries? Checked the ingredients and first ingredient is "grape juice" made from concentrate. I guess the question is how one interprets "100% Juice"... to me that's what comes out of fruit when you squeeze it. If you use concentrate, then add water; well, that may be 100% liquid, but it's certainly not 100% juice. Likewise, if the label says, "Cranberry" then why is the main ingredient "grape juice"? I'll take my money back please and perhaps ask the FDA what happened to honesty in labeling.

Today I bought my favorite brand of peanut butter, not noticing that the label said "whipped". I hope that's just another choice and I made a mistake... for the same price the same size jar now contains 5 oz less. Whipped just means they've blown it full of air... it doesn't taste as rich as my old jar either. Monday, I'll be talking to the producer.

Biggest gripe I have is when you buy a product and it doesn't work or work properly. No problem, says the manufacturer, that's why we have a warranty, just send it in for repair. Bull, I don't buy "repaired" products. When I pay a new product price, I expect my new product to work perfectly. If it doesn't then I expect it to be replaced, not repaired. I've had a couple of real "go-arounds" with electronic manufacturers about this, especially computer manufacturers.

I'm always polite, but tenacious and I'll usually take whatever steps necessary to win the conflict. My thinking is that if consumers don't complain, then a company will naturally presume they are meeting expectations.

CWS

[Beast]

It isn't just shoddy products out there stealing our money.

I recently needed to purchase brake rotors for a car and received very bad customer service from the store. I called another branch of this store and managed to get the district managers number, I called him and reported my experience, He then asked me to go to the second branch and get the rotors with a 10% discount,
For me bad service at autozone will always get a complaint now, and a compliment when they do good also.

[L. D. Jeffries]

Complaints

You bet I complain! If its a high cost item I've been known to write the President of the company. Case in point: When we built our house I put in windows (a lot) from one company. Four years later three of the windows started to have a hazy film build-up between the glass. Wrote the Pres. and told him about the problem with a mention I would be hard pressed to recommend their product. Couple of weeks later got a call from the company to set a date for a tech to look at the problem. Tech arrived (six hour drive) checked around and later called me that they would be replacing every window in the house, even the ones that were OK. A month later a truck and a crew came with a load of windows! I call that customer satisfaction.
Small, every day items I just don't buy the same brand again. I feel the company must realize that their product is not the best designed/materials or what ever.

[herb fellows]

You bet I complain! If its a high cost item I've been known to write the President of the company. Case in point: When we built our house I put in windows (a lot) from one company. Four years later three of the windows started to have a hazy film build-up between the glass. Wrote the Pres. and told him about the problem with a mention I would be hard pressed to recommend their product. Couple of weeks later got a call from the company to set a date for a tech to look at the problem. Tech arrived (six hour drive) checked around and later called me that they would be replacing every window in the house, even the ones that were OK. A month later a truck and a crew came with a load of windows! I call that customer satisfaction.
Small, every day items I just don't buy the same brand again. I feel the company must realize that their product is not the best designed/materials or what ever.

I don't know how far and wide this company does business, but it seems as if a mention of their name is in order.