Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/579514
Areyoueverfrustrated with customer service? Have you been ripped off, taken to the cleaners and hung out to dry by a store or service pro- vider? To claim the ti- tle of savvy consumer you need know-how and confidence to make sure that, no mat- ter what, no one ever gets your hard-earned money without your permission. It's all about the fine art of complaining. START EASY. Make at least one good-faith at- tempt to reach a reso- lution for your problem at the customer service level. Don't threaten; sim- ply state your case and the resolution you expect. Take notes and keep a pa- per trail that includes the names of the people you speak with, their titles and phone numbers. BE NICE. No matter your method of commu- nication, do not make threats or use foul lan- guage. Wait until your anger subsides. Stay calm; keep it profes- sional. WRITE TO THE TOP. If you cannot reasonably resolve the issue, head straight to the top. Find the name and address of the highest-level person in the company — the presi- dent or CEO. Don't waste your time working up the ladder. STATE YOUR CASE. Be very clear on what the problem is, what you have done to attempt a resolu- tion and exactly how you want this resolved. Do you want the item replaced? A refund? A re-do? USE STRONG LAN- GUAGE. You want to keep your letter short, but pow- erful. Use words like "shocking," "appalled," "outraged," and "egre- gious." These are atten- tion getters, so use them if they fairly describe your situation. Do not use vul- gar language, slang or pro- fanity. Always remain dig- nified. NAME A DATE. Give a specific date that is at least two weeks hence by which you expect this mat- ter will be resolved. MAKE IT EASY TO RE- SPOND. Be sure to give the president a way to reach you. Give your name, ad- dress, phone number and the best time to call. PROOFREAD. Some of us (yep, that would be me) cannot see our own spell- ing and grammatical er- rors. Find someone who will proof your finished letter. There's nothing like poor grammar and typos to detract, devalue and di- lute your message. Keep working on it until your letter is impeccable. Now the president will take your matter seriously. BE BOLD. Use bold and capital letters when you add this to the lower right area of the envelope: "FOR IMMEDIATE AND PER- SONAL ATTENTION." Be sure to keep origi- nals of all of your docu- mentation, such as paid receipts, warranties, pho- tos and other items that support your position. Make photocopies for at- tachments, but hang on to the originals. One last thing. Al- ways say thank you. Do that in advance as a way of letting the other person know you have the utmost confidence that he or she will do the right thing. Remem- ber that it's in their best interests as well as yours that you do not go through life with a bad taste in your mouth be- cause of a transaction gone wrong. Would you like to send a tip to Mary? You can email her at mary@ everydaycheapskate. com. EVERYDAYCHEAPSKATE Thefineartofthe effective complaint SACRAMENTO Have you wondered if the TV shows featuring the Federal Bu- reau of Investigation are realistic, what it really takes to work for the FBI and what investigations are like? If you are a high school junior who attends school within the 34 California counties served by the FBI's Sacramento field of- fice, apply to find your an- swers at the Fall 2015 Sac- ramento FBI Teen Acad- emy. The academy will be on Friday, Nov. 20 at FBI Sac- ramento field office head- quarters in North Sacra- mento. A limited number of ap- plicants will spend an in- formative, interactive day at the FBI's Sacramento field office headquarters. Prior classes engaged in classroom discussions offering insight into a number of topics and spe- cialties such as the im- portance of making good choices when using on- line communication plat- forms, the difference be- tween freedom of speech and violation of federal law, what is required of all FBI applicants, the FBI's domestic and inter- national roles and discus- sions about adjudicated cases. Hands-on experiences involving the evidence re- sponse team, bomb techs and auto shop also offered students the opportunity to learn about a limited number of FBI tools and techniques firsthand. After completing the class, students are more aware of challenges their communities face, know the challenges of the on- line environment, better understand how the FBI serves their communi- ties and are better pre- pared to mentor their peers. Application packages are available on the In Your Community page of the FBI's Sacramento field office website. Any high school junior at- tending a public, private, charter or home school may apply by the dead- line, Oct. 23, for consid- eration. Applicants need not be interested in pursuing a career in law enforcement or have prior experience in a law or law enforcement academy. Completed applica- tions include the applica- tion, essay detailing why the student wants to at- tend and what benefit at- tendance may have for the student's school or community and a release form. The FBI Teen Academy program is a no-cost ex- perience; however, fam- ilies are responsible for any necessary transporta- tion and any overnight, if such are necessary to at- tend the class. The Sacramento FBI Cit- izens Academy Alumni As- sociation generously spon- sors lunch, morning and afternoon snacks and other items for all students in at- tendance. FBI Juniors invited to teen academy A fair within a fair was staged at Special People Day at the Tehama District Fair on Friday. The Tehama County Co- ordinating Council for De- velopmental Disabilities teamed with Far Northern Regional Center to add an emergency preparedness component to the fair. The free event was held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. near the Ker- stien Stage. Booths with emergency related themes were fea- tured so persons with disabilities could learn about being prepared in an emergency. An ambu- lance from St. Elizabeth Community Hospital and a Red Bluff fire truck were handy for close up inspec- tion. The Chico Work Train- ing Center showed off its emergency response trailer. Pacific Gas and Electric Co. had a demonstration about gas emergencies. Clients of Far Northern Regional Center received a to go bag with articles essential to evacuate in an emergency. Handouts and refrigerator magnets to help the general public start a preparedness kit were also given out. The to go bags were de- signed and sewn by mem- bers of the Chico Work Training Center. They or- dered, purchased and filled the bags with items needed during an emergency evac- uation. Clients from the Work Training Center were on hand to hand out the bags and educate the pub- lic about things to take do- ing an emergency. A magician from Far Northern Regional Center entertained with slight of hand tricks and staff had an informational booth. Serving as chairwoman of the emergency fair was Diane Krisel. She was as- sisted by staff from Far Northern Regional Center and the Chico Work Train- ing Center as well as mem- bers of the Tehama County Coordinating Council. In addition to the Emer- gency Fair, special people were treated to free car- nival rides and enjoyed and a complimentary hot dog lunch provided by the Central Tehama Kiwanis Club. Whoops of joy were heard as the special peo- ple discovered the blue and red ribbons hanging on their arts and crafts exhibits. TEHAMA COUNTY Em er ge nc y Fa ir h eld f or S pe ci al P eo pl e COURTESYPHOTOBYANNEREAD Jeremiah Brown tries out a gurney from St. Elizabeth Community hospital. Mary Hunt The Sierra Club Yahi Group is hosting the fol- lowing events for October. Unless otherwise noted, trips are free and open to the public and begin at the trailhead. If you have any questions or want further information about specific activities, call Wayland Au- gur at 519-4724 or write to wba@acm.org. • Saturday, Oct. 10 — Lake Almanor Bike Trail, West Shore Bring bikes to paved 11- mile bike trail along beau- tiful Lake Almanor for fall colors. Meet at bike trail- head on State Route 89, 4 miles from the State Route 36 and 89 intersection at 10 a.m. Brown and white sign on the road points to trail — drive in a few hundred yards to park. Easy trail, with one short walkable hill. Bike to Canyon Dam, have lunch and return. Round trip is 22 miles. Also, early dinner in Chester for anyone interested. Call Bar- bara at 258-3905 for further information. • Friday, Oct. 16 — Thai Dinner at Cocodine's Enjoy a delicious Thai dinner with friends at Coc- odine's Restaurant in the Raley's shopping center in southeast Chico. Meet at 6:30 p.m. Call leader to re- serve space. Leader is Alan, 891-8789 or ajmendoza777@ comcast.net. 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