Living on a budget can be tight, especially while in college.  Ever since college has become a main thing you do after high school, college students have become notorious for finding ways to get free stuff.  Usually students find the "free lunch" or "5¢ pitcher."  But  in today's college life students can be more resourceful.  Today's smart students can seek out ways to get free lunches at their favorite lunch spot, discounted brand name clothes and even free electronic stuff, and without stealing, cheating, or breaking any laws.  In fact, it is possible to do all this with writing.  Claim letters (both complaint and compliment), surveys, and simple web browsing can help you locate all sorts of free and/or cheap stuff. So how does one go about finding all this cheap free stuff?  The first place to look is the Internet.  Since its advent, large corporations have been using the Internet to reach more tech savvy customers and as a way to listen to consumer demands, advice, complaints, and compliments.  They also know that shoppers can easily compare prices on goods online and make better choices before making purhcases and investments.  Large corporations are determined not to lose customers, because he or she did not like the fact that you thought the big price above the product indicated the price of the product below it and not the one on the other side of the store.

Complaint letters

So, what do you do if you have a poor experience with an employee or product?  You visit their Web site and complain.  A complaint letter will most likely be forwarded to the person who just told you to take a hike, but this time his or her boss will know about it, and the boss didn't get to where he or she is at by making customers unhappy!  By writing a letter, you will have more clout than you would have had by simply complaining verbally, and you are more more likely to be offered some form of compensation in an attempt to bribe you back into their store

Example:  A local steak house offers a $10 gift certificate to a disgruntled customer after a bad dining experience at their establishment.  The customer decides to use this certificate on a blind date, figuring if it goes badly he has really only paid for himself.  The date goes well and eventually the couple marries.  They now  becomes life-long customers at the steak house, the place where they had their first date.  The circle is complete: the customer was recompensed for his one bad experience, and the steak house has earned  a life-long consumer.

While this story is not far-fetched, it is not unlike the reasoning behind companies actions.  So how did the customer complain?  The customer simply got online and visited the company’s Web site. He found an email link  and told the company what he thought about his first visit.  It’s the quickest and cheapest way to contact a company.  It does not take long to send a quick formal letter of complaint that will get the attention of a customer service representative.  Here's a quick example:

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[name & address (both email and home)]

[date]


Dear [Company],
        
On [date] I visited your dining establishment and was disturbed by many things.  First of all, I would think that a restaurant would be concerned with hygiene, but apparently this is not the case.  When my server brought me my silverware and napkin, I noticed that his fingernails had not been cleaned.  The black lines of crud under his nails disturbed me enough to almost leave then.  However, I decided to stay but felt I should wash my hands at the least.  My next point relates to the first:  How could anyone wash his or her hands in a bathroom with no running water?  Neither the faucet nor the toilet worked.  How could an establishment that requires cleanliness and sanitation be without water?

I have enjoyed dining at your establishment for many years and wish to continue this as you have the best hot wings in the county.  But I will not revisit this particular location and will only visit another if my meal and drinks are paid for, making it worth my while to drive another 10 miles.

Thank you for your time.

Yours faithfully,

[Signature]

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Point	Reason
Make it short and to the point.	Long rambling letters are quick to make the reader disinterested and unconcerned.
Be sure to include the date, the name of the employee that you dealt with, and the location of the establishment.	This will help the company identify its problem so that they can help better serve you in the future.
Details also are important. Include your purchases and expenses.	At the least the company will then be able to compensate you for your purchases.
Do not get angry.	Nobody deserves to be cursed simply because someone in the same company whom they have never met had dirty fingernails and the water was turned off.  Plus they simply won’t read it.
Make the reader feel your pain.	You want them to care.  You want them to sympathize with you.
Include a return address and your home phone number.	This way they will be able to contact you and send you that compensation (free stuff) you deserve.

Now I know what you are thinking:  Do complaint letters only work at restaurants?  Nope.  Most businesses, especially larger ones, are quick to respond to any complaint, no matter how small.  Like the local grocery store that had bugs in the lettuce in the produce department, or the quick-lube station that left a rag on your carburetor that ignited and almost caused you to wreck, most businesses, large or small, want you to be satisfied with your shopping experience so you will return and spend more of your hard-earned money..

Now, the thing is, nobody likes a liar.  So don't go making stuff up just to get free stuff.   Nobody's perfect, and there is always something to complain about .  After having bad experiences at two different businesses in Statesboro, I sent each company a letter of complaint, one by email and the other by "snail mail."   The company I emailed responded promptly with a form letter telling me my concern was being addressed and, after two days, I received an email telling me a gift card for the approximate value of my purchases was being sent.  The other sent me a letter back telling me the problem was being looked into and that they were sorry for my inconvenience and hoped the experience would not deter me from shopping with them again.  Obviously, email is much quicker and seems to be handled with more care.  Plus, I had to call the store that I had the bad experience with just to get the address of their main office.

Compliment Letters

Companies don't just want to hear about thebad experiences.  They also want to know when and where they are succeeding.  Some companies will even reward you for taking the time to let them know what they're doing right and how to keep it up. 

I visited several restaurant and stores in Statesboro and sent them quick emails, via their Web sites, to let them know that I enjoyed my experiences.  Most replied back saying thank-you, but two actually sent me emails and coupons.