Your local news source ::
      Select a community or newspaper »


About The Fixer ::
Who hasn't felt ripped off at some point -- or, worse, been ignored or tangled in red tape when you've tried to resolve a consumer problem?

These things happen. And usually, except in the case of outright scams, consumers and business owners have a mutual stake in getting the problem resolved.

That's why the Sun-Times is launching a new column, called The Fixer. Its aim: to help consumers and the targets of their wrath -- at least the honest ones -- try to wipe the slate clean.

But before The Fixer can help, you need to do a little work of your own.

Don't rant. Don't rave. Definitely don't be a wimp.

Do try to help yourself. Plaster a smile on your face, and go see the salesperson you dealt with. Or find the mechanic, talk with the contractor, or take a deep breath and call the customer-service number of the company you're dealing with. Assume the steely smooth on-screen persona of Clint Eastwood, and calmly, intelligently explain the problem. (It's a huge help to have a sheet of paper with the names, dates and specifics in front of you.)

""Hostile and aggressive doesn't work. You just look weak and out of control,"" says Lynette Padwa, author of Say the Magic Words: How to Get What You Want from the People Who Have What You Need (Penguin, $14) -- advice that will resonate with any parent who's dealt with a screaming toddler.

Instead, say Padwa and other experts in the art of complaining, be friendly. Be confident. Assume that the person you're dealing with actually wants to help you.

Tell them specifically what you want -- being reasonable with what you request. (Hint: The airline that spilled in-flight coffee on your shoe isn't going to spring for round-trip tickets to Paris.)

It pays to be nice to customer-service employees, says T. Scott Gross, author of Positively Outrageous Service: How to Delight and Astound Your Customers and Win Them for Life (Warner, $18.95). ""They can like you and want to help you, or they can abhor you and stay away from you like the plague,"" Gross says. ""You want to get mad with them, not at them.""

If they can't solve it, go up the chain of command. Find the manager, then the district manager, then the district manager's manager, and so on. Repeat as necessary.

If that doesn't work, get out your pen. Write a concise letter -- preferably avoiding threats of bodily harm -- that lets the key business people know what the problem is and how you've tried to resolve it. Set a deadline -- two or three weeks; whatever you think seems reasonable -- to get things fixed, and say if they can't do it by then, you'll seek third-party assistance. Then, do it.

""Don't write it off to experience,"" says Steve Bernas of the Better Business Bureau. ""That's what some of these, especially the scam artists, bank on.""

That's where The Fixer comes in. Each week, starting in mid-September, we'll run some of your letters and try to help solve your thorniest consumer problems.

Honest businesses are likely to talk. Scam artists will probably duck. Either way, it should be enlightening.

 

Breaking down the language of Chicago, one phrase at a time. If you've ever heard someone say they've got ""a guy"" or that they're going out for ""chicken vesuvio,"" but didn't know what the heck they were talking about, read this guide. Now.
Daboddause
Chicago
Couple two tree
Gratchki
Grabowski
Uh-huh
Vi-a-duct





VIDEO ::   MORE »

TOP STORIES ::
Dry out, power up

W.W. Grainger adds new stores to area

Bears are well grounded

Do celebs get off easy?

Glamorama: Coyote pretty





INSIDE ::
Tools for Schools
Tools for Schools program.
School report cards
School report cards and demographic information for each public school in Illinois.
SearchChicago Autos
Taken our new site for a spin. Search local inventories, get tips, and place ads with the click of a mouse.
Your TV listings
There's a whole new way to track your favorite TV shows, movies and sporting events.
Real estate transfers
Compare the closing prices for recent home purchases in the Chicago area.
The Fixer
Getting the runaround over a consumer problem? Tell it to The Fixer.
Track your portfolio
Manage your stocks with e-mail updates or stock alerts sent to your e-mail.
Real Chicago
View and buy historic photos from the files of Sun-Times photographers.
Real Chicago Sports
Chicago's sports stars, sports characters and sports moments in the camera eye.
Delivery guide
Find all of the restaurants that deliver to you at work or at home.
Centerstage Chicago
Chicago's original city guide is now part of the Sun-Times News Group.
Sudoku puzzles
Test your skills with our interactive puzzle and print edition versions.
Social Calendar
Your guide to charitable events and a peek into the world of society and philanthropy.
Buy and sell tickets
Your source for pro sports, college football, and Chicago entertainment.
Commentary
Editorials, letters to the editor, and columnists and Jack Higgins' editorial cartoons.
Movie times
Get out tonight and catch a film. Find one in your area.
Healthology
Keep up with your health with video programs and physician-authored articles.