The British, as a rule, try not to file complaints if they do not like something. But 39-year-old Chris Owen from Buckinghamshire took a different path, and now he earns up to 1,000 pounds (78 thousand rubles) a year, making a fuss about everything from poor service to cold food.
How it all started
Chris's crusade began four years ago when he ordered a marble table worth 650 pounds (50 thousand rubles). A table was delivered to him three times, and each time the item was damaged. And for the fourth time the table arrived, generally, without a countertop. Then the man’s patience snapped, and he wrote a complaint.
After that, the company apologized and paid him 200 pounds (15.5 thousand rubles) for the inconvenience. Then Chris realized that excess vanity could bring money. As the man says, he is not specifically looking for things to complain about. But if he is somehow not properly served, then he will surely get compensation.
How much can I get for complaints?
In total for three years, Chris earned 2,900 pounds, an average of almost 1,000 pounds per year. But the amount that he receives for the "complaints" varies depending on how much time he should devote to the "showdown", as well as the generosity of the company.
For example, in 2015, Chris received about 637 pounds in the form of a refund, free gifts and vouchers. The next year, he almost doubled his capital to £ 1,194. Last year, Chris and his wife Katie had a little daughter, which meant that he had less time to file complaints with the company.
What does he make money from?
Most of the money brought to him by complaints of cold, improperly prepared food, as well as poor customer service. Chris earned about £ 70 just because of hamburger mayonnaise.
The man simply hates this sauce and always indicates in the order that he does not want to be added to food. But very often the waiters do not hear his request or are mistaken with the order. And then the man is forced to send them back to the kitchen and eventually again wait for his order. And when it comes time to pay the bill, Chris asks for a discount or insists that the cost of his food be completely excluded due to inconvenience and expectation.
A popular pizzeria chain once invited Chris and his three friends to a free dinner. And all because the company ordered a jug of water. And they had to wait for him as much as 90 minutes. Of course, the man was outraged by such a service and he threatened the administration that he would write a complaint to the consumer protection authorities. And to avoid problems, they treated everyone to a free dinner.
As Chris states: "We got it all out for it. We ordered two bottles of wine and two desserts each and ate 200 pounds in a place where it's really hard to spend more than 25."
But Chris had serious problems. He acquired built-in kitchen appliances that melted his junction box just a few days after connecting. He instantly returned an installation fee of £ 80. But then he achieved the fact that he was returned all 480 pounds that he spent on appliances.
“Sometimes you need to be very firm with the company. My kitchen could burn to the ground,” Chris told reporters. “I sent an email to the company and copied it to the BBC Watchdog media group. And they immediately returned all the money to me. And it's not about that that I want to earn, and about my safety and their negligence in relation to customers. "
How to file a complaint?
Here are some of Chris’s tips for making your complaints heard:
- Stand your ground, but without aggression. Be firm, but not rude. People more often listen to you if you are polite to them.
- Know your consumer rights.This is not necessary, but helps. If you have a serious problem, let us know that you report it to the appropriate authority.
- Don't settle for little. If you think that what was returned to you is not enough, check your rights, uphold your positions and ask for more.
It is a pity that in our country they do not care so well about the rights of clients. But who knows, maybe if you insist and get what you want, then we can get compensation for poor service from us?