Extreme Measures for Customer Service Complaints

Just ask 75-year-old Mona Shaw, who endured six days without phone service after a botched cable installation. Pleading with the local Comcast office did no good, and when she showed up in person to complain, they left her sitting in the August heat for two hours before informing her that the manager had already gone home. Three days later, Shaw returned to the office wielding a hammer, which she used to knock over a computer monitor and smash a keyboard and phone before calmly asking the receptionist, "Now do I have your attention?"

Obviously, Shaw's story is an extreme case of customer disgruntlement — and her actions are definitely not advisable (she was arrested and had to pay $345 in reparations). But for consumers who've failed to resolve a customer-service dispute despite making substantial efforts, there are more effective — and legal — ways that are just as attention grabbing. One caveat though: Be sure to choose your battles wisely. "If everyone is doing these things for easily resolved problems, the tactic loses its effect," says Chris Denove, executive director of J.D. Power and Associates.

If you've already exhausted all of the traditional channels in your efforts to get your brand new, broken dishwasher fixed, then try the five strategies below to get a company's attention — and get your dispute resolved.

While you probably won't get a personal response, it's a safe bet your missive will be read by someone in the head honcho's office and handed over to someone on the executive service team who is empowered to resolve disputes in any way they see fit.

To make sure your complaint is taken seriously, document the problem and your attempts to resolve it in a short letter. Include names and extensions of employees you spoke with, as well as what they promised and if they followed through. Keep your emotions out of it. "CEOs will be looking at this very methodically, to see what the problem is and how it was handled," says Stevens. "Even if you've been wronged, it's as Grandma always said: 'You get more flies with honey.'"

Why it's effective: A task that gets kicked down from the CEO's office is unlikely to be ignored or mishandled. (Just imagine how heads would roll if you had to go back to the CEO a second time.)

A problem with your communications provider, for example, may be resolved with a complaint to a common, but little-known town board — the cable access committee, which acts as a liaison between the government and the cable suppliers for that area. To help you figure out where you should turn for a specific issue, check the web site of your local or city government.

Why it's effective: Enough complaints or perceived code violations for a particular company can result in restrictions on their operations or even put a merchant out of business, says Greenberg.

Why it's effective: "[Someone with] one good customer service experience tells another, while [someone with] one bad customer service experience tells 20," Stevens says. A well-placed post on consumer advocacy sites like The Consumerist or a five-minute segment on the evening news tells thousands — and that's the kind of negative publicity a company can't afford.