Effective complaining should work

Dear Readers: If you bought something that does not work or you are dissatisfied with a service from a store or business, keep the receipts and the item purchased, or make a note of the service not performed. You should respond in a cool, businesslike way -- don't be emotional in a written (or verbal) complaint. Here's a checklist for making an effective complaint that should get you a refund or the results you expect:
Give your name, address, work and home telephone numbers.
Include the date and place of purchase.
Note the serial and model number of the merchandise.
Cite the name of the person(s) who did the work, if it's a service complaint.
Make several copies of your complaint letter, and allow a reasonable amount of time for a response.
Then follow up until you get the satisfaction you want.
If you do not get results, you can contact the Better Business Bureau or state agencies that handle consumer complaints. Most newspapers and TV stations have consumer reporters who might be able to help as well. Heloise
P.S. If a business or employee does a good job, hey, give a compliment!
Dear Readers: Do you have nice dinner plates that you want to protect while stored? Which of the following can you place between them to accomplish the task?
1. Paper plates
2. Coffee filters
3. Rubber mesh
4. All of the above
For your information, 4 is the winner! Heloise
Dear Heloise: The other day, I wrapped a gift for a baby shower in paper that had cute little bears on it. I desperately needed a card for the gift, so I cut out one of the bears, glued it to a piece of card stock and then cut out the bear again. I wrote a "congratulations" note and signed it on the back. There I had it -- a clever card without any added expense. Kathleen Lang, Moss Point, Miss.
Dear Heloise: To keep fragile items from breaking during the rough handling of shipment, buy a bag of balloons. Blow them up to different sizes, then put them all around the item until they cushion the bottom, sides and top in the box.
If done correctly, when you close the top and shake, there should be no movement of the item inside the box. Your items should arrive unbroken, and the balloons don't add a lot of weight to your shipment cost.
Note: The box must be bigger than the item so the balloons can cushion it. Jeannie B., San Diego
Sound off
Dear Heloise: Why, why don't people comprehend putting the napkins and silverware at the end of a buffet table? At the beginning, you must juggle napkin and silverware while trying to serve yourself all the buffet items. At the end, it's so much easier, and you now know what utensils you need. P. Hansen, Franklin, Wis.
Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, or you can fax it to (210) HELOISE or e-mail it to Heloise@Heloise.com.
King Features Syndicate