Automotive Service, Your Rights as a Consumer

Library patrons sometimes ask me questions about fixing a problem with a business over some disagreement. With an automobile it can be rough. I’m not an attorney yet patrons ask about lemon laws. If you purchase a brand new car and have nothing but trouble, there may be legal remedies available but that may not be the best initial strategy for solving a problem. Often a well-written letter or a phone call to the right person is all it takes to get an issue resolved. Automobile maintenance is a classic example. If something breaks on a car, there is nothing to stop you from contacting company headquarters if dealer service is involved. Speaking from personal experience, college professors are good at this. Talk to the service department at a Volvo dealership near a college campus and you’ll hear some entertaining stories. Fortunately, you don’t need a graduate degree or a Volvo automobile (now under new Chinese ownership) to work the system. Plenty of other domestic and foreign auto manufacturers like to hear back from their customers. Sometimes company headquarters will work with you but you don’t know unless you try.

Don’t own a car? No problem. These letters will work with a variety of businesses. So where do you start? 101+ Complaint Letters that Get Results by Janet Rubel is a good resource. The thing is that you don’t even have to complain sometimes to get results. Actually, it’s good to write letters complimenting the company on their product when you’re satisfied. I won’t name names but some companies actually give out coupons or free stuff when someone thanks them for making a quality product. Sometimes they’ll remember you later as well. Ordinarily, I’m against mailing lists but it is possible to get on a company’s good list. Meaning, the corporation remembers the articulate and vocal customer. The interesting part is that it makes perfect business sense. Most companies want to keep their vocal customers happy. The trick is to know what options are at your disposal and sometimes the best ones aren’t always the most intuitive.

On Wednesday April 14 from 3-4 pm, we’re having a resume webinar. Learn new ways to polish up your resume and get personalized resume help during the webinar in the library. On Monday, May 3 from 12:30-2, we will be having a talk on Reference USA. This database can be used for job hunting, researching businesses (including car dealerships) and more. Both of these presentations will take place at the Main Library on 625 Minnesota Avenue in the first floor computer lab. But wait, there’s more! We’re also having a talk on becoming an EMT in the auditorium on Tuesday, May 4 at 6:30 pm. A special guest from Kansas City, Kansas Community College will be presenting on how you can become a certified EMT wicked quick and get on the fast-track to a career. Until next time, catch me in the library.