Complaining the American way
Discussion
'Merkins just moan in a bigger way.
In essence, a potential customer has a shoddy experience at Peter Pan BMW in the US, and rightly vents her spleen. But who to complain to? Well, in this case, start at the top (in this case, BMW chairman Nobby Reithofer) and then copy in (and I quote) "every member of the BMW Senior Management Team, The BMW Board of Directors, Penske Automotive Group Management (owner of Peter Pan BMW), every BMW General Manager in the San Francisco Bay Area, National and Regional BMW Executives, The Better Business Bureau to investigate fraud, Management of BMW's competitors and of course I will post to every forum, blog and internet discussion site. "
Crikey. What's the German for 'take a chill pill'?
http://djnadina.blogspot.com/2008/12/my-letter-to-...
In essence, a potential customer has a shoddy experience at Peter Pan BMW in the US, and rightly vents her spleen. But who to complain to? Well, in this case, start at the top (in this case, BMW chairman Nobby Reithofer) and then copy in (and I quote) "every member of the BMW Senior Management Team, The BMW Board of Directors, Penske Automotive Group Management (owner of Peter Pan BMW), every BMW General Manager in the San Francisco Bay Area, National and Regional BMW Executives, The Better Business Bureau to investigate fraud, Management of BMW's competitors and of course I will post to every forum, blog and internet discussion site. "
Crikey. What's the German for 'take a chill pill'?
http://djnadina.blogspot.com/2008/12/my-letter-to-...
bigandclever said:
'Merkins just moan in a bigger way.
In essence, a potential customer has a shoddy experience at Peter Pan BMW in the US, and rightly vents her spleen. But who to complain to? Well, in this case, start at the top (in this case, BMW chairman Nobby Reithofer) and then copy in (and I quote) "every member of the BMW Senior Management Team, The BMW Board of Directors, Penske Automotive Group Management (owner of Peter Pan BMW), every BMW General Manager in the San Francisco Bay Area, National and Regional BMW Executives, The Better Business Bureau to investigate fraud, Management of BMW's competitors and of course I will post to every forum, blog and internet discussion site. "
Crikey. What's the German for 'take a chill pill'?
http://djnadina.blogspot.com/2008/12/my-letter-to-...
Did it work? Nothing less seems to these days.In essence, a potential customer has a shoddy experience at Peter Pan BMW in the US, and rightly vents her spleen. But who to complain to? Well, in this case, start at the top (in this case, BMW chairman Nobby Reithofer) and then copy in (and I quote) "every member of the BMW Senior Management Team, The BMW Board of Directors, Penske Automotive Group Management (owner of Peter Pan BMW), every BMW General Manager in the San Francisco Bay Area, National and Regional BMW Executives, The Better Business Bureau to investigate fraud, Management of BMW's competitors and of course I will post to every forum, blog and internet discussion site. "
Crikey. What's the German for 'take a chill pill'?
http://djnadina.blogspot.com/2008/12/my-letter-to-...
loafer123 said:
She is a proper nutter.
What? For buying a $40k car and expecting to drive it off the lot rather than having it pushed into the workshop to identify the problem that was probably there before she just bought it?She's getting screwed by the dealer, and instead of being quiet about it she's making a scene and good on her. And its blindingly obvious they are obviously using the warranty she just bought to fix dodgy goods.
tinman0 said:
loafer123 said:
She is a proper nutter.
What? For buying a $40k car and expecting to drive it off the lot rather than having it pushed into the workshop to identify the problem that was probably there before she just bought it?She's getting screwed by the dealer, and instead of being quiet about it she's making a scene and good on her. And its blindingly obvious they are obviously using the warranty she just bought to fix dodgy goods.
I'm not saying the garage is blameless, but she seems to be your archetypal nightmare customer.
Sorry, but I would have done the same. America is renowned for its customer service, and the price of the product should reflect the service received and in this case it was nowhere near.
Proper letter with a proper inpact; I wouldn't be suprised if they gave her the car as an apology - there's no point trying to shut her up as she's already told the whole world
Proper letter with a proper inpact; I wouldn't be suprised if they gave her the car as an apology - there's no point trying to shut her up as she's already told the whole world
Whem the over worked and lying insurance claim administrator failed to contact me three times as promised and left me living in one room of my house for 3 month, I googled the company CEO, guessed a few email permutations via google and found his direct email on a presentation he had given to some conference.
3 months of inactivity ended in 15 minutes, I had a new administrator.
I wouldn't go direct to the top but when they let you down that badly sometimes the little people who have lied have to pay.
Jonny_ said:
s3fella said:
Good on her I say, (presuming her letter is an accurate representation of what went on!)
What he said.In the same situation I think I'd have hit somebody. (Although if it were me it'd probably be over some 300 quid banger rather than an M3!)
She has bigger balls the most.
I think this is far better. 
A 98 year old woman in the UK wrote this to her bank. The bank manager thought it amusing enough to have it published in the Times
Dear Sir,
I am writing to thank you for bouncing my cheque with which I endeavoured to pay my plumber last month. By my calculations, three nanoseconds must have elapsed between his presenting the cheque and the arrival in my account of the funds needed to honour it. I refer, of course, to the automatic monthly deposit of my Pension, an arrangement, which, I admit, has been in place for only thirty eight years. You are to be commended for seizing that brief window of opportunity, and also for debiting my account £30 by way of penalty for the inconvenience caused to your bank.
My thankfulness springs from the manner in which this incident has caused me to rethink my errant financial ways. I noticed that whereas I personally attend to your telephone calls and letters, when I try to contact you, I am confronted by the impersonal, overcharging, pre-recorded, faceless entity which your bank has become. From now on, I, like you, choose only to deal with a flesh-and-blood person.
My mortgage and loan payments will therefore and hereafter no longer be automatic, but will arrive at your bank by cheque, addressed personally and confidentially to an employee at your bank whom you must nominate. Be aware that it is an offence under the Postal Act for any other person to open such an envelope. Please find attached an Application Contact Status which I require your chosen employee to complete. I am sorry it runs to eight pages, but in order that I know as much about him or her as your bank knows about me, there is no alternative. Please note that all copies of his or her medical history must be countersigned by a Solicitor, and the mandatory details of his/her financial situation (income, debts, assets and liabilities) must be accompanied by documented proof.
In due course, I will issue your employee with PIN number which he/she must quote in dealings with me. I regret that it cannot be shorter than 28 digits but, again, I have modelled it on the number of button presses required of me to access my account balance on your phone bank service. As they say, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
Let me level the playing field even further. When you call me, press buttons as follows:
1 To make an appointment to see me.
2 To query a missing payment.
3 To transfer the call to my living room in case I am there.
4 To transfer the call to my bedroom in case I am sleeping.
5 To transfer the call to my toilet in case I am attending to nature.
6 to transfer the call to my mobile phone if I am not at home.
7 To leave a message on my computer (a password to access my computer is required. A password will be communicated to you at a later date to the Authorised Contact)
8 To return to the main menu and to listen to options 1 through to 8.
9 To make a general complaint or inquiry, the contact will then be put on hold, pending the attention of my automated answering service. While this may, on occasion, involve a lengthy wait, uplifting music will play for the duration of the call.
Regrettably, but again following your example, I must also levy an establishment fee to cover the setting up of this new arrangement.
May I wish you a happy, if ever so slightly less prosperous, New Year.
Your Humble Client
A 98 year old woman in the UK wrote this to her bank. The bank manager thought it amusing enough to have it published in the Times
Dear Sir,
I am writing to thank you for bouncing my cheque with which I endeavoured to pay my plumber last month. By my calculations, three nanoseconds must have elapsed between his presenting the cheque and the arrival in my account of the funds needed to honour it. I refer, of course, to the automatic monthly deposit of my Pension, an arrangement, which, I admit, has been in place for only thirty eight years. You are to be commended for seizing that brief window of opportunity, and also for debiting my account £30 by way of penalty for the inconvenience caused to your bank.
My thankfulness springs from the manner in which this incident has caused me to rethink my errant financial ways. I noticed that whereas I personally attend to your telephone calls and letters, when I try to contact you, I am confronted by the impersonal, overcharging, pre-recorded, faceless entity which your bank has become. From now on, I, like you, choose only to deal with a flesh-and-blood person.
My mortgage and loan payments will therefore and hereafter no longer be automatic, but will arrive at your bank by cheque, addressed personally and confidentially to an employee at your bank whom you must nominate. Be aware that it is an offence under the Postal Act for any other person to open such an envelope. Please find attached an Application Contact Status which I require your chosen employee to complete. I am sorry it runs to eight pages, but in order that I know as much about him or her as your bank knows about me, there is no alternative. Please note that all copies of his or her medical history must be countersigned by a Solicitor, and the mandatory details of his/her financial situation (income, debts, assets and liabilities) must be accompanied by documented proof.
In due course, I will issue your employee with PIN number which he/she must quote in dealings with me. I regret that it cannot be shorter than 28 digits but, again, I have modelled it on the number of button presses required of me to access my account balance on your phone bank service. As they say, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
Let me level the playing field even further. When you call me, press buttons as follows:
1 To make an appointment to see me.
2 To query a missing payment.
3 To transfer the call to my living room in case I am there.
4 To transfer the call to my bedroom in case I am sleeping.
5 To transfer the call to my toilet in case I am attending to nature.
6 to transfer the call to my mobile phone if I am not at home.
7 To leave a message on my computer (a password to access my computer is required. A password will be communicated to you at a later date to the Authorised Contact)
8 To return to the main menu and to listen to options 1 through to 8.
9 To make a general complaint or inquiry, the contact will then be put on hold, pending the attention of my automated answering service. While this may, on occasion, involve a lengthy wait, uplifting music will play for the duration of the call.
Regrettably, but again following your example, I must also levy an establishment fee to cover the setting up of this new arrangement.
May I wish you a happy, if ever so slightly less prosperous, New Year.
Your Humble Client
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