How to Get What You Want

Talk to the Top Brass

Consumers often ask to speak to customer service or a manager if they have a problem with a company. Forget that step—go online to find out who the CEO or president is and write to that person. Politely provide specific information on how you would like your problem to be rectified (maybe you want a replacement product or just an apology for bad service). A CEO is much more likely than, say, a call-center employee to care about the reputation of his company—and to want to keep your business.

John Tschohl is the president of the Service Quality Institute, a customer-service training company in Minneapolis, and the author of The Customer Is Boss: A Practical Guide for Getting What You Paid For and More ($20, amazon.com).