Here you have all the keys to take control of your demands, have answers for everything, negotiate face to face, use social networks or take legal action when you want to claim your money.
Strategy 1: You control the call
- Do not pick with the 902. Find out the free number –800 or 900– or the landline –with a provincial prefix–. Companies must have one, but they advertise it less than the 902, which is the most expensive line and does not include flat rates.
- Skip machines, talk to a person. When calling a customer service, the most likely thing is that a machine will answer you and you will start to get dizzy with the numbers that you must press according to the management. When asked, say slowly and vocalizing: "Unsubscribe", and you will have a better chance of being passed to a telemarketer.
- Ask them to record the conversation. Many companies already do. If not, ask for it yourself and ask for the name and identification number of the operator that attends you. They will see that it is not so easy to hook you up.
- Demand the file number. The one that corresponds to your claim. They are obliged to give it to you. Without it, you will not be able to follow up and every time you call you will have to start from scratch.
- Don't fall for the "yes technique." It consists of asking yourself several questions in which you have to answer affirmatively ("Is your name such?", "Do you live at this address?") So that you end up answering what they want automatically in the key question. Take control at the beginning by giving the data and explaining the problem.
- Do not let yourself fight. If they start to move you from one department to another and each time they ask for the same information, answer that you have already given it to the previous operator (give their name and number) and that, therefore, you know they already have it on the computer .
- Don't give in and get out of the loop. The usual tactic is to exhaust your patience so that you end up giving up. Stay firm and, if you see that you are not making progress, ask to be transferred to the casualty department. In it they are more open to negotiating a solution rather than losing a customer.
Ask for the name and identification number of the operator
Strategy 2: Pro Weapons
- Gather all the evidence. Vouchers, tickets, invoices, contracts … that demonstrate the purchase or contracting of a service.
- Keep the originals. Always present photocopies of the documents to prevent them from being “lost” in any of the steps.
Strategy 3: Have answers for everything
With the script learned. Prepare the arguments for your claim and what you want to achieve. And anticipate what they can tell you by having all the answers provided. These are some examples:
- "If you don't have the invoice, you can't claim." Other documents can serve as proof, such as proof of payment by card, which shows the date and the establishment.
- "You can not cancel until the end of the stay." False. You can request it at any time, even if you have to pay a penalty. Calculate that it is not abusive, but proportional to the time that is missing.
- "You can not process the withdrawal by phone." If the service was contracted by phone, they must unsubscribe you through the same system.
- "Returns are not accepted". If the rest of the year they accept them, they must also do so in, unless they notify in a visible place.
- "The guarantee of discounted products is shorter." False. The minimum warranty is the same in two years.
Strategy 4: Find out how far you can go
- Read the fine print. Both contracts and guarantees, to know what you can claim and what not. Find out before you act. If you are not sure what your rights are, get advice from a consumer information office or a consumer organization.
- Go to official bodies. Such as the Municipal Consumer Information Offices (OMIC). In addition to informing you, they will process your claim for free.
Strategy 5: How to negotiate face to face
- "I want to talk to your superior." If you are in an establishment (store, restaurant, etc.) and the "conversation" with the employee leads nowhere, demand to speak to your superior.
- Ask for the claim sheet. Shops and service companies are obliged to have it and deliver it free of charge, but sometimes they provide one of their customer service.
- Check that it is the official one. It must carry the letterhead of the autonomous government. Includes 3 copies: for you, the Administration and the establishment. They should seal the sheets and give you the first 2.
Strategy 6: Use Twitter and other networks as a speaker
- Take advantage of networks. Companies are very concerned about having a good image on social networks, where criticism spreads quickly. Through forums and blogs you can contact people who have the same problem and share opinions.
- An open channel. Unlike other networks, Twitter acts as a loudspeaker as it is open to everyone. And most companies use it.
- Sign up, it's easy. Go to twitter.com, fill in the boxes with your name and email, and choose a username (@name) and a password.
- Start tweeting . Tweets are messages of only 140 characters. But the more you send, the more likely it is that other people will reply, and the company will contact you.
- Name the company. Search your Twitter account with the magnifying glass. This is usually something like @companyname. Include it in your message so that it reaches their account and everyone knows what you are talking about.
- And tag your messages. For labeling, it starts with # and must not have spaces (#companynameclaim). Group tweets on the same topic.
With twitter or facebook you can make your claim more widely publicized
Strategy 7: Get it in writing
- Burofax or registered letter. If you claim in writing, send your letter one of these ways and you will have proof that they have received it. E-mail is easier to end up in the trash and they can always tell you that it has not reached them or that it has “entered them as spam”.
- Include all your data. Your address and telephone number, so that they can locate you, and the date, so that the moment you started the procedures is recorded.
- You set the deadline. The law says they have a month to answer you, except for some exceptions. Say goodbye with a phrase like "If in a month I have not received a response, I will initiate other legal channels."
- More aces up your sleeve. Send your letter to multiple recipients. It is more likely that someone will listen to you. Find out the titles of the departments that may be most useful to you. You can often find this information on the company's website.
Strategy 8: Unity is strength
- Collective lawsuits. They exert more pressure than those that are presented individually, especially before strong companies, such as supply companies or financial institutions.
- Consumer organizations. The OCU or Facua, for example, have legal teams that bring together and defend those affected by the same problem. But you have to be a member.
- Free app. If you want to share and exchange information with other consumers without spending a penny, download the ProtestApp application , from the OCU, available for Android and iPhone mobiles.
Strategy 9: Polite but firm
Formal and inflexible. Take care of the forms, both face-to-face, by phone or in writing. But don't let being polite take you away. Without losing your cool, stay firm, especially if you know that the law is on your side.
Strategy 10: And if all else fails …
- Go to the sector itself. There are specialized entities, such as the Spanish Agency for Data Protection; the Bank of Spain's Customer Ombudsman, for claims against financial entities; or the Telecommunications User Service Office, for telephone and internet cases.
- Resort to arbitration. It is free and quite fast. You can request it at a Municipal Consumer Information Office or on the website of the Consumer Arbitration System. The "only" drawback is that the company must agree to submit to it voluntarily. You will distinguish the establishments adhered to the arbitration because they have the logo in a visible place.
- And if you decide to go to trial. Value very well if it really compensates you. It is a slow and expensive process: you will have to pay a lawyer, attorney and court fees –except for claims of less than € 2,000, but in this case you will have to represent yourself and it is not easy–. In addition, the sentence may not include compensation for you, but a penalty for the company. If you still decide to go ahead, check if you have legal defense covered in some insurance, such as housing.
