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3.9

Phoning a business

Write down what you want before you dial, and get a name and reference number before you hang up.

A woman on a mobile phone call writing notes on paper at her desk
Photo: Karolina Grabowska (Kaboompics) / Pexels
Area: PeopleFrom age 14Time to learn: 10 minutes to learn; 2 or 3 real calls

You will be able to phone a business to book something or make a complaint, and come away with a clear result.

SafetyGive personal or payment details only on calls you started, to a number from the company's own website or bill. If someone calls you claiming to be a company or bank, hang up and call the official number yourself.

Why it matters

A call can fix in minutes what takes days by message, because a person can check your account and decide on the spot. A short written plan makes the call easier. US government advice is to contact the company first, then its management, and only then outside agencies.

How to do it

  1. Write three lines: who you are (name and account or order number), what happened or what you need (with dates and amounts), and what you want (a refund, a repair, a time slot).
  2. Have your papers in front of you: receipt, order number, contract or bill.
  3. Open with your goal: 'Hi, my name is Alex Chen. I'm calling to book a cleaning,' or 'I'm calling about order 48213, which arrived broken.'
  4. Ask the person's name and write it down with the time of the call.
  5. Say what you want, then stop and listen. Silence is fine while they check.
  6. If they cannot help, ask: 'Who can?' or 'Can I speak to a supervisor?'
  7. Before you hang up, repeat what was agreed: 'So you'll refund $42 within 10 days?' Ask for a reference number.
  8. Send a short follow-up email with the name, date, reference number and what was agreed.
  9. If the problem is not fixed, complain to a consumer protection office: your state or local office in the US, or your provincial consumer office in Canada. For Canadian phone, internet and TV providers, contact the Commission for Complaints for Telecom-television Services (CCTS).

Common mistakes

  • Calling without your account number, so the call stalls.
  • Getting angry at the agent, who did not cause the problem.
  • Hanging up without a name or a reference number.
You can do this when …you have phoned a business, got what you asked for or a clear next step, and written down a reference number.

Sources

  1. USA.gov: How to file a complaint about a company's products or services
  2. Government of Ontario: Your rights under the Consumer Protection Act
  3. Commission for Complaints for Telecom-television Services (CCTS)

Sources and numbers last checked . How we check

Go deeper

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