File 6: How to Complain Effectively

As consumers we surely spend a lot of time in store spending our money in buying the things we need, and sometimes the things we don't need, too. In all this buying of things we sometimes get that one product which is faulty or has some sort of problem with it and in turn it does not satisfy the purpose we bought it for.

It is in these precise moments of customer frustration that we are faced with the necessity of contacting the store we bought the product from and submit a complaint in the hopes of: 1) getting a replacement or, 2) getting our money back. A lot of times store owners are not too willing to exchange products or return money and so we are faced with tons of paperwork, never ending trips to the store and eternal waits on the phone.

The smart customer will work his or her magic when talking to the store representative so that at the end of the meet the store not only exchanges the product or returns money, but also throws in a few perks for the trouble.

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1. TASK DESCRIPTION	Identify the most effective strategies for complaining in a department store situation in which a faulty product is to be returned. The five most important strategies are to be collected and presented in a poster. This task is to be done in small teams (4 max.)
2. WHAT I NEED	This task will be done only as a practical visual. Be part of a team Notes about personal and teammates experiences when returning a faulty product Consult the recommended resources A poster Colors, images and any other material for creating a visual Have selected the 5 most importante strategies for complaining
3. RECOMMENDED RESOURCES	How to Complain and Protest to Receive a Refund: 14 steps The 9 Habits of Highly Effective Complainers How to Complain Effectively Expressing Complaining[PRESENTATION] How to Complain for Fun and Profit [PRESENTATION with Exercises] How to Complain without Sounding like a Jerk [VIDEO] How to Effectively Complain [VIDEO]
4. STEPS TO FOLLOW	Exchange experiences with team members about a time you had to complain about a faulty product Take notes on the strategies or techniques used to get a benefit Review the recommended resources and enrich your notes with the best ideas With your team determine a top five for the best complaining tips for customers Give titles to your customer complaining tips. Create a poster in which your tips will be presented Be sure to add extra messages and visuals as you see fit
5. HOW WILL I KNOW I HAVE FINISHED?	I have exchanged customer experiences with my teammates, and maybe even classmates I have reviewed the recommended resources and maybe found a few others on my own I have created a poster with my team on the five best tips for customer complaint OPTIONAL: if considered adequate, complimentary flashcards could made and/or handouts to give out.
6. HOW WILL I PRESENT THIS IN CLASS?	This is a team effort and everyone's participation is important. For this activity we will not be doing digital presentations. You are experts on customer complaints You will present your best tips to the class using the poster as a visual aid
7. HOW WILL THIS TASK BE EVALUATED	This task is the first of three contained in Unit 6. The values presented here are partial to the 50% grade value the unit has in addition to the Learning Journal and Ongoing Evaluation. The task evaluation will be based social exchange and negotiation of ideas with a specific purpose in mind, being this to enhance one's knowledge and also be able to share it with others. team presentation and visual aids  [8%]