This city can change your mood completely,'' said the director Sofia Coppola as we walked down Rue Madame in the Sixth Arrondissement of Paris. During the filming of ''Marie Antoinette,'' which will arrive in theaters on Oct. 20, she lived in a rented apartment on the Boulevard Saint-Germain, two doors from the famous Café de Flore. ''We would have production meetings there,'' said Sofia, who was wearing jeans, a navy V-neck sweater and ballet flats. ''I've always loved this part of Paris. My parents have an apartment close by. Even though my family is Italian, we came here a lot when I was really little. And then I came to Paris as a teenager: I spent two summers interning at Chanel. You naturally feel a connection to certain places, and, for me, Paris is one of them. I would look at my parents' French friends and think, That's what you're supposed to be like when you grow up.''
Sofia stopped at Odorantes, a tiny flower shop that specializes in bouquets that are organized by scent rather than by color. Bouquets in Paris, unlike floral arrangements in America, usually consist of one flower or one hue. ''I found this shop by wandering through the neighborhood,'' she said, while waiting outside for the flowers to be arranged. ''When I shop, it's not so much about buying. Whether you get something or not, when you go in a store, you see what Paris is like.''
For a few days last May, I accompanied Sofia through several Paris neighborhoods: the Marais, the Rue du Faubourg St.-Honoré, the Palais Royale. We visited the restored Museé de l'Orangerie to see the Monet waterlilies in their original home, and we gazed into the Seine from the Pont Neuf, but, mostly, we shopped as if we were engaged in a kind of sociological study of French customs and style.
Near the Place Vendôme, Sofia stopped at the custom shirtmaker Charvet, where she was having some of her mother's Yves St. Laurent shirts from the 1970's recreated as silk dresses. We went to the luggage store Goyard and admired the classic trunks that once belonged to the Duchess of Windsor. At Dary's, a jewelry shop that specializes in antique pieces, Sofia tried on an aquamarine ring from the 20's, and at Hermès, we watched the other customers in the large, crowded store compete for the privilege of buying their coveted handbags. At Benneton Graveur, she studied the engraved stationery, particularly a notecard topped by a French and an American flag. Sofia is expecting her first baby in December with her boyfriend, Thomas Mars, the singer in the band Phoenix. Mars is from Versailles, and Sofia plans to have the baby in Paris, where the couple have just purchased an apartment. ''This card will be perfect,'' she said, admiringly.
In the Marais, we went to K. Jacques, a tiny shop that specializes in all types of classic leather sandals. The simplicity of the shoes immediately conjured up images of sunning in St.-Tropez. We stopped at a vintage magazine and bookstore called Les Archives de la Presse, which Sofia discovered while she was filming Marie Antoinette's birthday party at the National Archives nearby. ''We could never have shot this movie anywhere else,'' she said. ''Everything about France influenced the film: the light here is different, the way the French hold themselves is different. In America, we're all in such a rush. Here, they have lifestyle priorities. For instance, the French crew insisted on a proper lunch break. They set the table, and they had wine, and no matter what was happening, you could not cut their lunch short. In America, it would be a quick sandwich and back to work. Here, everyone takes their time.''
Sofia first considered making a film about Marie Antoinette during a dinner at Chez Omar, one of her favorite restaurants in the Marais. Dean Tavoularis, the Oscar-winning production designer, who has worked extensively with her father, had researched that period for a movie he didn't end up doing, she explained. ''And he started telling me things about Marie Antoinette, like how young she was and her weird relationship with her husband, Louis. I've always been interested in the 18th century, and the story behind her persona intrigued me."
In many ways, the finished film is an homage to all things Français, from the perfection of the period costumes and wigs to the clashing modernity of the post-punk 80's soundtrack. Just as ''Lost in Translation,'' Sofia's previous film, captured the beautiful strangeness of Japan, ''Marie Antoinette'' is a glimpse into the sense of refinement that still exists in Paris. ''I have always been influenced by French films,'' said Sofia, as she paid for the extraordinarily fragrant purple-pink roses that took 20 minutes to arrange. ''I remember seeing 'Breathless' as a teenager and liking that not everything was explained. In American movies, you have to explain everything. The French leave things a little mysterious.''
Sofia walked toward the river and peered into the windows of various antiques shops, looking for a chandelier for her new apartment. She went past a vintage shop on a tiny street, but it was closed. In the window was a slinky black jersey Jean Muir dress displayed on a mannequin. The Cannes Film Festival was in a few days, and Sofia was looking for gowns. ''I like that in Paris, you have to get it together,'' she said. ''It's nice to see people dress up for dinner. After I interned at Chanel in the 80's, I went back home to my little town in the Napa Valley, but I was changed forever. Everyone thought I was strange because I was getting French Vogue.''
After writing down the peculiar hours of the vintage shop, Sofia headed to the Jardin du Luxembourg. ''My father was so taken with this place that he built a little fountain in Napa based on the fountain here,'' she said, as she walked down the wide gravel path that leads to the heart of the garden. She motioned to a bench. ''This place has always been emotional for me.'' Right before she was about to get married to Spike Jonze (now her ex-husband), and before her first movie, ''The Virgin Suicides,'' was shown in Cannes, the stress had got to her: ''I just sat here and cried.'' She would come here while filming ''Marie Antoinette'' when she had serious things on her mind. ''The beauty of this garden would always reassure me,'' she said. ''Paris has a way of restoring your faith.''
Sofia's Address Book
Shops
Azzedine Alaïa Boutique and shoe store. 4 Rue de Moussy; 011-33-1-42-72-19-19.
Benneton Graveur Stationery.
75 Boulevard Malesherves; 011-33-1-43-87-57-39.
Bois de Rose Classic smock dresses for girls. 30 Rue Dauphine; 011-33-1-40-46-04-24.
Bonpoint Children's clothes. 320 Rue St.-Honoré; 011-33-1-49-27-94-82. Go to www.bonpoint.com for more locations.
Galerie 213 Sofia especially likes the photo books. 58 Rue Charlot; 011-33-1-43-22-83-23.
Charvet Custom shirts and more.
28 Place Vendôme; 011-33-1-42-60-30-70.
Clignancourt Flea Market Sofia shops here for furniture. Porte de Clignancourt (Sat.-Mon.).
Dary's Antique jewelry. 362 Rue
St.-Honoré; 011-33-1-42-60-95-23.
Deyrolle Taxidermy in a beautiful space. 46 Rue du Bac; 011-33-1-42-22-30-07.
Didier Ludot Vintage couture. 20-24 Galerie de Montpensier; 011-33-1-42-96-06-56.
pharmacie homeopatique
weber For beauty products not available at home. 8 Rue de Capucines; 011-33-1-42-61-03-07.
Free ''P'' Star Vintage clothing.
8 Rue Ste.-Croix-de-la-Bretonnerie; 011-33-1-42-76-03-72.
Goyard Classic luggage. 233 Rue St.-Honoré; 011-33-1-42-60-57-04.
Hermès Sofia shops here for notebooks and bags. 24 Faubourg St-Honoré; 011-33-1-40-17-47-17.
Jöelle Ciocco Skin care. 8 Place de la Madeleine; 011-33-1-42-60-58-80.
K. Jacques Leather sandals. 16 Rue Pavee; 011-33-1-40-27-03-57.
Lanvin Albert Elbaz's take on French tradition. 22 Rue du Faubourg
St.-Honoré; 011-33-1-44-71-31-73.
Les Archives De La Presse Vintage magazines. 15 Rue des Archives; 011-33-1-42-72-63-93.
Marc Jacobs Palais Royal,
34 Rue de Montpensier; 011-33-1-55-35-02-60.
Odorantes Flowers. 9 Rue Madame; 011-33-1-42-84-03-00.
Pierre Hardy One-of-a-kind shoes. Jardins du Palais Royal, 156 Galerie de Valois; 011-33-1-42-60-59-75.
Sabbia Rosa Lingerie. 73 Rue des Sts.-Pères; 011-33-1-45-48-88-37.
Serge Lutens Perfume. Les Salons du Palais Royal Shiseido, Jardins
du Palais Royal, 142 Galerie de Valois; 011-33-1-49-27-09-09.
Restaurants and Bars
Café de Flore Centuries-old artiste hangout. 172 Boulevard Saint-Germain; 011-33-1-45-48-55-26.
Le Castiglione Known for its cheeseburgers. 235 Rue St.-Honoré; 011-33-1-42-60-68-22.
Chez Allard Famed old bistro noted for poulet de bresse. 41 Rue St.-André des Arts; 011-33-1-43-26-48-23.
Chez Omar Excellent couscous, exceptionally popular. 47 Rue de Bretagne; 011-33-1-42-72-36-26.
Gerard Mulot Pastries and chocolate. 76 Rue de Seine; 011-33-1-43-26-85-77.
Bar Hemingway Classic bar with great cocktails. Hotel Ritz Paris;
15 Place Vendôme; 011-33-1-43-16-33-65.
Ladurée Historic tea salon beloved for its macaroons. 16 Rue Royale; 011-33-1-42-60-21-79. Go to www.laduree.fr for more locations.
Le Voltaire Chic bistro on the
river. 27 Quai Voltaire; 011-33-1-42-61-17-49.
Mathis Supertrendy bar. 33 Rue de Ponthieu; 011-33-1-53-76-39-55.
Sofia's ''Marie Antoinette''
All the locations in 'Marie Antoinette' are worthy of a best-supporting Oscar. Here, a guide to the film's real-life settings. Paul L. Underwood
'Opéra Garnier Despite its Chagall ceiling, this 1861 building was long neglected before its restoration in 2000; it now shows opera and ballet. Dubious fan: Adolf Hitler, who made a point of visiting in 1940. 8 Rue Scribe.'Marie Antoinette'Hotel de Sôubise Today the headquarters of the National Archives, this 18th-century house will present an exhibition about Marie Antoinette from Oct. 11 to 18 (highlights include the queen's final letter).
60 Rue des Francs-Bourgeois.Château de Champs sur Marne Home of Louis XV's mistress Madame de Pompadour, the chateau now is part of the Ministry of Culture. You may have already visited it as part of your ''Dangerous Liaisons'' tour; part of that film was shot here, too. 31 Rue de Paris.ParisOpéra Comique The opera house where ''Carmen'' had its premiere in 1875 is certainly a grand monument. But be careful -- it has burned down twice in 300 years, so it's probably due. 5 Rue Favart.Gardens of Vaux le Vicomte Nicolas Fouquet's chateau was so grand that it got him imprisoned for showing up the king. The gardens were designed by André Le Nôtre, who later did those at Versailles. Take the RER (Line D) to Melun.Petit Trianon Theatre Constructed for Marie Antoinette, who even performed on occasion. As far as acting goes, however, the queen apparently was no Kirsten Dunst. Versailles Gardens Le Nôtre's masterwork, the sculptured gardens rival the palace for magnificence. Consult the guidebook written by Louis XIV, which includes instructions for walking the grounds.Petit Hameau Built for Marie Antoinette to resemble a Viennese village, where she infamously played milkmaid. Legend has it the bowls used were shaped after a mold of her breasts.VersaillesLe Petit Trianon Where Marie Antoinette preferred to entertain: the informal atmosphere offered a relief from the chateau's rigid rules. The gardens around it are still recovering from a 1999 storm.Salon of Peace Located at one end of the Hall of Mirrors, the salon was nearly turned into a theater by Marie Antoinette. (That pesky revolution put an end to those plans.) Through here lies the entrance to the queen's apartment.The Stone Gallery This is where Louis XIV would touch the sick to heal them -- no word on how effective he was.Hall of Mirrors Check the ceiling for scenes of Louis XIV as a Roman emperor by the 17th-century artist Charles Le Brun. Look out the windows to get the grand perspective, with gardens stretching to the horizon.Salon de Hercules The artist François Lemoyne committed suicide shortly after painting the ceiling; the room itself took nearly 25 years to complete.
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Thursday, June 15, 2006
Wrangling with customer service representatives is an art form, but you can do it successfully with a little knowledge and a stubborn streak.
By Liz Pulliam Weston
It’s time to get mad.Almost every day, I get another e-mail or letter from someone who has suffered some outrage at the hands of a company, usually one that purports to care about customer service. But instead of being livid, most of these folks are resigned to bad treatment and just want to know how to minimize the damage.Here’s an example. Willi Sommer is a Navy submariner stationed in Italy. AT&T took a $425 payment Sommer made to his direct-bill calling card account and applied it, in error, to his mother’s wireless account.
Any company can make a mistake, of course. What counts is how the company fixes it.AT&T fixed Sommer by turning his account over to a collections agency. This is after Sommer sent the company copies of the cashed check and spent hours on overseas phone calls with AT&T customer-service reps.
When AT&T finally realized its mistake, it gave Sommer a credit -- but only for the amount of the payment that his mother hadn’t already “spent.”You don’t have to take it anymoreI’d love to tell you AT&T’s version of these events. I tried for days to get one of their public-relations people to speak to me about this. Instead, I got transferred from one PR type to another, but nobody was willing to admit that this problem fell within his or her purview.
Sommer had been dealing with this nonsense for six months. It’s no wonder he became numb. All he was hoping for when he contacted me was suggestions for fixing his credit report. He’d long since given up hope that AT&T would actually give back the money it took or that it would apologize for treating him so shabbily.
It’s time to fight back.
You really can win
I’m here to tell him, and you, that we just don’t have to take it anymore. So what if customer service keeps getting worse -- you can complain effectively, and get results. You just have to know how.
Know your rights. Sometimes companies get away with egregious behavior simply because its victims don’t know the law. It’s illegal, for example, for a company to knowingly report false credit information, or for collection agencies to keep calling you after you’ve told them in writing to stop. Knowing the law -- and letting the companies know you know -- is sometimes effective in getting bad behavior to stop.
If your complaint involves a contract, warranty or guaranty, read all the fine print that came with it. You don’t necessarily have to limit yourself to the remedies prescribed in these documents, but you should at least know what the company promised.
Know what you want. Be clear in your mind and in all your communications with the company about what you want to happen. That way you won’t get sidetracked.After all, the customer-service rep’s job, typically, is not to make you happy. It’s to get you off the phone.
If the rep suggests ways to fix your problem at all, it will usually be ways that don’t cost her or the company much. When my new laptop’s hard drive failed for the second time last month, Dell wanted to send me yet another replacement part. But I knew from the start of my call that I wasn’t getting off the phone until a replacement computer was on its way.
I’m assuming, by the way, that what you want is both reasonable and doable. Your definition of those two terms may vary from the company’s, but you can’t be ridiculous about it. The dry cleaner that ruined your jacket, for example, should be expected to buy you a new one. You shouldn’t expect free dry cleaning for life.
Be concise. Boil your story down to its essential elements; you might even practice first with a friend before you pick up the phone. Nattering on about irrelevant details will just make it easier for the rep to tune out or miss the point. Besides, you’re going to have to repeat your story over and over and over to get results. Might as well save yourself some time by editing in advance.
Don’t be a jerk. My husband, the most effective complainer I know, puts it this way: You don’t have to be nice, necessarily. You do have to be polite.
Hubby has used this not-nice-but-polite approach to get us a 50% discount on a garage door that was incorrectly installed, a free upgrade on our Tivo service (again, botched installation) and a number of other concessions from companies that initially insisted there was no way to accommodate us.
He isn’t sweet, understanding or particularly patient when he deals with people who resist giving him what he wants. But he is unfailingly civil. Rude behavior just gives the rep an opportunity to hang up on you, or feel justified in not helping you.
I’ve found being nice sometimes greases the wheels. Some reps are so used to being berated by customers that they melt pretty quickly when dealing with someone who’s pleasant. My favorite ploy is to chat them up, then ask them how they would handle my problem if it were theirs, instead of mine. Many times, they’ll respond to this treatment by connecting me with someone who can actually solve my dilemma.
Know that the company’s problems are not your problems. Customer-service reps love to tell you exactly why the company’s procedures don’t allow them to do what you need them to do. Guess what: You don’t have to care. How the company chooses to conduct its business is not your concern. What is your concern is getting your problem fixed, however the company ultimately decides to do it.
Carve out some time. I’m convinced some companies try to wear you out with excessively long hold times. You can’t force them to pick up the phone, but you can fight back by out-waiting them.
Get yourself a portable phone or, better yet, a portable with a headset. That way you can do other things to keep your sanity while waiting for the company to see reason.
It took me three hours on a Saturday morning to persuade Dell to see things my way. I survived innumerable transfers, two disconnects and endless stretches on hold largely because I wasn’t tethered to a desk the whole time. Thanks to my portable head set, I was able to nurse and play with my daughter, sort mail and even do a little light housekeeping while I talked to Sandy, Matt, Phyllis, Jason, Raina and the rest of the Dell crew about how they were going to get me a replacement computer.
Get names and call back numbers. Sometimes, you don’t have three hours in a row to spend on the phone. Rather than start over from the beginning each time you dial, make sure you know how to get back in touch with the people who handled your last call. Having a name and number also comes in handy when you get transferred into voice-mail hell or the phone simply goes dead -- not that a customer-service rep would ever, ever deliberately hang up on you.
Take notes. I don’t know why, but reps are inordinately impressed when you can tell them exactly when you were told what by whom. These details can also help when you’re enlisting others to come to your aid (see below).
When in doubt, get it in writing. Consumer advocates usually recommend putting disputes in writing. The reality is that most problems get handled over the phone, and you don’t necessarily have to conduct business by snail mail.
If the issue involves a lot of money, taxes, legal issues or your credit report, however, put everything in writing and send the letters certified mail, return receipt requested. Keep a log of all your communications with the company and copies of every relevant piece of paper.
Keep moving up the ladder. You probably know that if you can’t get what you want from a phone rep, you should ask to speak to a supervisor. But the folks with the real power may be several rungs up the ladder. If you strike out, try the company’s marketing or public-relations division. A letter sent to the company’s president or CEO can often break through a logjam like nothing else.
If the company is violating the law, you may need to contact the appropriate regulator. You’ll need to do some research to find the right office, and you can’t necessarily count on results. The Federal Trade Commission, for example, collects complaints about credit bureaus, but typically only acts if it sees a pattern of problems emerging.
Desperate measures If you’re having a problem with the government itself, the ultimate resource may be your local, state or federal representative. Many lawmakers pride themselves on taking care of their constituents on this grassroots level.
Then there’s always the option of alerting the media. (Caveat: Don’t alert me -- I’ve got enough to do.) But if the company’s behavior has been particularly terrible or you think you might be part of a trend, you can try calling your local newspaper or television station to see if you can interest them in your plight.
That’s the way one of my former colleagues at the Los Angeles Times discovered that a local phone utility was charging many of its customers for DSL service that didn’t work. The utility kept insisting that there was no problem, or that customer complaints were “isolated incidents.” After the reporter heard from a bunch of “isolated incidents” and wrote a front-page story about them, the company was forced to stop billing people for something they never got.
Finally, you can always hire a lawyer. It’s not the easiest or most cost-effective way to get what you want, but sometimes it pays off.
Real-estate agent Judy Thomas tried for six years to get TransUnion to remove another woman’s bad credit history from her credit report. Thomas finally won a $5.3 million lawsuit against the credit bureau. The judge later reduced the award to $1.3 million, but hey, Thomas made her point.
By Liz Pulliam Weston
It’s time to get mad.Almost every day, I get another e-mail or letter from someone who has suffered some outrage at the hands of a company, usually one that purports to care about customer service. But instead of being livid, most of these folks are resigned to bad treatment and just want to know how to minimize the damage.Here’s an example. Willi Sommer is a Navy submariner stationed in Italy. AT&T took a $425 payment Sommer made to his direct-bill calling card account and applied it, in error, to his mother’s wireless account.
Any company can make a mistake, of course. What counts is how the company fixes it.AT&T fixed Sommer by turning his account over to a collections agency. This is after Sommer sent the company copies of the cashed check and spent hours on overseas phone calls with AT&T customer-service reps.
When AT&T finally realized its mistake, it gave Sommer a credit -- but only for the amount of the payment that his mother hadn’t already “spent.”You don’t have to take it anymoreI’d love to tell you AT&T’s version of these events. I tried for days to get one of their public-relations people to speak to me about this. Instead, I got transferred from one PR type to another, but nobody was willing to admit that this problem fell within his or her purview.
Sommer had been dealing with this nonsense for six months. It’s no wonder he became numb. All he was hoping for when he contacted me was suggestions for fixing his credit report. He’d long since given up hope that AT&T would actually give back the money it took or that it would apologize for treating him so shabbily.
It’s time to fight back.
You really can win
I’m here to tell him, and you, that we just don’t have to take it anymore. So what if customer service keeps getting worse -- you can complain effectively, and get results. You just have to know how.
Know your rights. Sometimes companies get away with egregious behavior simply because its victims don’t know the law. It’s illegal, for example, for a company to knowingly report false credit information, or for collection agencies to keep calling you after you’ve told them in writing to stop. Knowing the law -- and letting the companies know you know -- is sometimes effective in getting bad behavior to stop.
If your complaint involves a contract, warranty or guaranty, read all the fine print that came with it. You don’t necessarily have to limit yourself to the remedies prescribed in these documents, but you should at least know what the company promised.
Know what you want. Be clear in your mind and in all your communications with the company about what you want to happen. That way you won’t get sidetracked.After all, the customer-service rep’s job, typically, is not to make you happy. It’s to get you off the phone.
If the rep suggests ways to fix your problem at all, it will usually be ways that don’t cost her or the company much. When my new laptop’s hard drive failed for the second time last month, Dell wanted to send me yet another replacement part. But I knew from the start of my call that I wasn’t getting off the phone until a replacement computer was on its way.
I’m assuming, by the way, that what you want is both reasonable and doable. Your definition of those two terms may vary from the company’s, but you can’t be ridiculous about it. The dry cleaner that ruined your jacket, for example, should be expected to buy you a new one. You shouldn’t expect free dry cleaning for life.
Be concise. Boil your story down to its essential elements; you might even practice first with a friend before you pick up the phone. Nattering on about irrelevant details will just make it easier for the rep to tune out or miss the point. Besides, you’re going to have to repeat your story over and over and over to get results. Might as well save yourself some time by editing in advance.
Don’t be a jerk. My husband, the most effective complainer I know, puts it this way: You don’t have to be nice, necessarily. You do have to be polite.
Hubby has used this not-nice-but-polite approach to get us a 50% discount on a garage door that was incorrectly installed, a free upgrade on our Tivo service (again, botched installation) and a number of other concessions from companies that initially insisted there was no way to accommodate us.
He isn’t sweet, understanding or particularly patient when he deals with people who resist giving him what he wants. But he is unfailingly civil. Rude behavior just gives the rep an opportunity to hang up on you, or feel justified in not helping you.
I’ve found being nice sometimes greases the wheels. Some reps are so used to being berated by customers that they melt pretty quickly when dealing with someone who’s pleasant. My favorite ploy is to chat them up, then ask them how they would handle my problem if it were theirs, instead of mine. Many times, they’ll respond to this treatment by connecting me with someone who can actually solve my dilemma.
Know that the company’s problems are not your problems. Customer-service reps love to tell you exactly why the company’s procedures don’t allow them to do what you need them to do. Guess what: You don’t have to care. How the company chooses to conduct its business is not your concern. What is your concern is getting your problem fixed, however the company ultimately decides to do it.
Carve out some time. I’m convinced some companies try to wear you out with excessively long hold times. You can’t force them to pick up the phone, but you can fight back by out-waiting them.
Get yourself a portable phone or, better yet, a portable with a headset. That way you can do other things to keep your sanity while waiting for the company to see reason.
It took me three hours on a Saturday morning to persuade Dell to see things my way. I survived innumerable transfers, two disconnects and endless stretches on hold largely because I wasn’t tethered to a desk the whole time. Thanks to my portable head set, I was able to nurse and play with my daughter, sort mail and even do a little light housekeeping while I talked to Sandy, Matt, Phyllis, Jason, Raina and the rest of the Dell crew about how they were going to get me a replacement computer.
Get names and call back numbers. Sometimes, you don’t have three hours in a row to spend on the phone. Rather than start over from the beginning each time you dial, make sure you know how to get back in touch with the people who handled your last call. Having a name and number also comes in handy when you get transferred into voice-mail hell or the phone simply goes dead -- not that a customer-service rep would ever, ever deliberately hang up on you.
Take notes. I don’t know why, but reps are inordinately impressed when you can tell them exactly when you were told what by whom. These details can also help when you’re enlisting others to come to your aid (see below).
When in doubt, get it in writing. Consumer advocates usually recommend putting disputes in writing. The reality is that most problems get handled over the phone, and you don’t necessarily have to conduct business by snail mail.
If the issue involves a lot of money, taxes, legal issues or your credit report, however, put everything in writing and send the letters certified mail, return receipt requested. Keep a log of all your communications with the company and copies of every relevant piece of paper.
Keep moving up the ladder. You probably know that if you can’t get what you want from a phone rep, you should ask to speak to a supervisor. But the folks with the real power may be several rungs up the ladder. If you strike out, try the company’s marketing or public-relations division. A letter sent to the company’s president or CEO can often break through a logjam like nothing else.
If the company is violating the law, you may need to contact the appropriate regulator. You’ll need to do some research to find the right office, and you can’t necessarily count on results. The Federal Trade Commission, for example, collects complaints about credit bureaus, but typically only acts if it sees a pattern of problems emerging.
Desperate measures If you’re having a problem with the government itself, the ultimate resource may be your local, state or federal representative. Many lawmakers pride themselves on taking care of their constituents on this grassroots level.
Then there’s always the option of alerting the media. (Caveat: Don’t alert me -- I’ve got enough to do.) But if the company’s behavior has been particularly terrible or you think you might be part of a trend, you can try calling your local newspaper or television station to see if you can interest them in your plight.
That’s the way one of my former colleagues at the Los Angeles Times discovered that a local phone utility was charging many of its customers for DSL service that didn’t work. The utility kept insisting that there was no problem, or that customer complaints were “isolated incidents.” After the reporter heard from a bunch of “isolated incidents” and wrote a front-page story about them, the company was forced to stop billing people for something they never got.
Finally, you can always hire a lawyer. It’s not the easiest or most cost-effective way to get what you want, but sometimes it pays off.
Real-estate agent Judy Thomas tried for six years to get TransUnion to remove another woman’s bad credit history from her credit report. Thomas finally won a $5.3 million lawsuit against the credit bureau. The judge later reduced the award to $1.3 million, but hey, Thomas made her point.
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
New Running Track
http://http://www.google.com/maps?hl=en&lr=&q=sage+%26+san+felipe&near=Houston,+TX&ll=29.756442,-95.475011&spn=0.017175,0.02193&om=1
Tanglewood Median....is 1 mile
Go down San Felipe and just past Sage, turn on Tanglewood (right) and there it is.
Tanglewood Median....is 1 mile
Go down San Felipe and just past Sage, turn on Tanglewood (right) and there it is.
Friday, June 02, 2006
Something Cara on myspace wrote
i suppose it to be true that perhaps Jesus gets even sadder for me than i did for those birds. his heart must be breaking as he watches my time wasted allowing the "what if"s to haunt me & the lies of not being enough to assault me...to live in fear; to forget to receive His love & to trust His heart towards me. that He has numbered my hairs, clothed my body, & called me to something greater than what i mostly live.
the more time i spend with Him---the more i know Him---the more i trust Him---the more i feel loved & valued & worth something & free & alive & on purpose. i should really just start taking Him at His word. i guess that would require taking time to read it.
well-formed love banishes fear. perfect love casts out fear:1john4.18
the more time i spend with Him---the more i know Him---the more i trust Him---the more i feel loved & valued & worth something & free & alive & on purpose. i should really just start taking Him at His word. i guess that would require taking time to read it.
well-formed love banishes fear. perfect love casts out fear:1john4.18
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Harold & Maude
My new favorite movie...
Maude: Harold, *everyone* has the right to make an ass out of themselves. You just can't let the world judge you too much.
Maude: Oh, Harold... That's *wonderful*. Go and love some more.
Maude: Harold, *everyone* has the right to make an ass out of themselves. You just can't let the world judge you too much.
Maude: Oh, Harold... That's *wonderful*. Go and love some more.
Monday, May 29, 2006
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