Tag Archives: complaints

Customer Service at Swiss Chalet Soothes This Chick’s Ruffled Feathers

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Even though I know I shouldn’t, I tend to hold grudges for a long time if I feel I’ve been wronged. For example, I refused to drive on the 407 for years after they insisted on charging someone I know an account setup fee and various other one time charges in addition to the per km billing when this person turned onto the toll highway by mistake (when it was new) and immediately exited at the first available exit 3 km away. I like to buy an occasional takeout meal from Swiss Chalet particularly when travelling. When I was disappointed by a recent problem, I was pleased that the Cara Operations guest services (who run Swiss Chalet) made it right so I can keep patronizing their restaurants without feeling ruffled.

The Swiss Chalet Mistake Was Very Minor

The problem with the meal was very minor: they forgot to package an order of fries with the chicken. It was annoying, though, because I’d specifically ordered the fries to suit a guest who doesn’t like rice or bread.

Rather than just fume silently, I tried phoning in a complaint. The message warned me to expect a 5 minute or more wait on hold. So I sent in a complaint online instead.

How Did Cara Operations Guest Services Right the Wrong?

Within the next hour, the customer service department replied by email with an apology and an e-gift card for $10. I was very satisfied with their response.

Did I Profit By Complaining?

I don’t particularly want to receive more than what I paid for, so receiving $10 for a single missing order of fries seemed too much to me. That was easy to correct though: I used the full $10 a few month’s later when I next ordered from Swiss Chalet. And then I donated $7 worth of food to our local food bank. Win win.

What Would I Have Done If They’d Ignored My Complaint?

With many stores, I would not have gone back if I wasn’t satisfied with the customer service response. To be honest, I probably would still have gone back to Swiss Chalet though: After all, it was only fries. But I was pleased that they fixed the problem and I could go back feeling good about it.

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Do you complain when a restaurant doesn’t provide what you paid for? Do you just shrug it off? Or do you just seethe inside and let it rankle? Please share how you handle life’s minor hiccups with a comment.

It’s not the $2.26. It’s the Ripoff and the Garbage: How to Get a Refund by Politely Complaining

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It’s not that I can’t afford $2.26. I’m sure I’ve spent that much at the dollar store on treats that were consumed before we finished walking home. It was the frustration of false advertising that led me to try to get a refund by complaining politely.

Written: 2012
Reviewed: 2023

The other month at Dollarama, I pointed out to my husband that they had sturdy plastic trays meant to be snapped on the back of an iPad similar to the ones at the computer store. The only noticeable difference was they cost only $2 each. They also had padded neoprene sleeves for iPads.

So on another trip to the store, he bought one of each.

The neoprene sleeve fits fine. Thanks, Dollarama!

The plastic clip on protector, however, did not fit at all. It was packaged as being for an iPad 2, but it wouldn’t clip on. It also would not fit our older iPad.

Dollarama, at least the store we purchase from, has a no refunds and no exchange policy. So we had spent $2.26, including tax, on a heavy piece of plastic that would have to go in the garbage. I was very annoyed.

Past experience has taught me, though, that a polite complaint can often work wonders.

So I wrote a letter to Dollarama explaining what we had bought, why we couldn’t test it before buying it (packaging), and why we couldn’t simply take it back for a refund. I mentioned that basically it’s false advertising to sell a product that does not and can not do what it says it will. And I asked for my $2.26 back. I offered to take the item back to the store, if they wanted it for quality assurance purposes, or to prove that I was telling the truth about the defect.

Then I went on to the internet and found the Dollarama website. It gave an email address to Contact Us. I sent an email copy of my letter to that address.

In two days, they had agreed there was a problem. They sent me a gift card to compensate the $2.26. In fact, they actually sent a gift card for more than that amount. Since we only wanted our own money back, we used the balance to buy some items for the charity Mitten tree at school.

I’d like to thank Dollarama for resolving this issue promptly and properly. I’ll continue to shop there.

And I’d remind people that politely complaining by presenting the facts and stating what would fix the problem can resolve many problems.

How to Get Your Complaint Resolved Successfully

Provide a detailed complaint. Include the

  • date the problem occurred
  • location
  • what you expected to get
  • what you actually received
  • why it was unacceptable
  • what you did to try to resolve the problem, including who you talked to and when
  • receipt or other proof of the interaction

Explain what you would like done. Include

  • whether you wish to receive money back, and if so, how much; or
  • whether you wish to receive a replacement for a defective item; or
  • whether you wish to schedule another attempt at a service

Have reasonable and realistic expectations.
I wanted my $2.26 back. I didn’t expect to get $100 and an iPad.

If the food was poor at an all-included vacation destination, you might expect to get back part of their cost for the food portion of your holiday. You can’t expect to get back the cost of eating all of your meals, at full retail price plus tip, at another location. Well, you can expect it, but I doubt you would get it.

Provide Your Contact Information
If you want a refund or other compensation, you will need to provide your full name and address.