How to whinge helped by Net
By
Simon Goodley
Dotcomtelegraph
19th April 2001
HELP
is at hand for those who want to complain more effectively about
products and services that have not come up to scratch.
If your new toaster stopped working after a week, or you
are not sure how to take revenge for a particularly diabolical train
journey, the aptly named Howtocomplain.com will show how.
Chaired by John Bridgeman, former director general at the
Office of Fair Trading, the website gives information and tips on
tackling a range of companies, from retailers to banks. The site,
which uses a fly in a bowl of tomato soup as its logo, also allows
customers to complain online.
Stuart
McCandlish, managing director of Howtocomplain who quit as a City
analyst last April to set up the site, said: "Tracking down
information and getting something done about issues can be difficult.
I've had a few experiences of complaining so I've got pretty good
at it."
Mr McCandlish, who invested about £50,000 of his own money
in the project, won compensation and an apology from an unnamed
mobile phone retailer after a lengthy insurance dispute. While the
site's advice is free to consumers, Howtocomplain hopes to make
money by selling consultancy and information on complainers and
their complaints to companies to improve their customer service.
And,
if you want to complain about the website's advice, you can send
an email to complaints@howtocomplain.com.
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