When I started writing consumer complaint letters, It involved a rough draft and then pulling out my old used smith corona typewriter and typing up a letter usually more than once to get it right. Then I had to find the address (usually on the packaging) and an envelope and send via USPS mail with a stamp. Much more time intensive then and that didn’t even include the waiting for a reply.
Nowadays, like last week, I found myself crunching away on my new favorite snack, Pirates Booty. They come in one large bag which generally goes stale pretty quick so I encourage my husband who does the shopping to please get those little lunch sized portions for kids. Imagine my surprise when I opened the little half ounce sealed bag only to discover that they were stale.
Ok the point is …no typewriter needed, no advanced writing skills needed. I just googled Pirates booty and found a contact form for displeased customers and filled it out. SO EASY. And look, not even a full week later…
The Covid-19 crisis has forced us to stay home. This is a good time to take inventory of products you have bought in the past or currently which have not lived up to your expectations. A great example is the following reply to a letter sent online using the “Contact Us” page for Farmer John, after attempting to return a product and being refused a refund by the market in which it was purchased.
CONFIRMATION LETTER…COUPONS WILL BE SENT VIA USPS
Dear XXXX;
Thank you for contacting us about your recent experience with our Farmer John Bacon. I am sorry that upon opening the package you found mold on the bacon. We take pride in the products we make and we take consumer feedback seriously. I reported your concern to our quality team where they can take the appropriate action to address it.
I understand it is frustrating when you purchase something and it is not what you expected and I sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this caused. I hope you will use the enclosed coupons to give our products another try in the future.
Thank you for sharing your concerns and for giving us the opportunity to make amends.
Sincerely,
Consumer Affairs Specialist
Enclosure:
2 Save $7.00 on one Farmer John Product