Pay day - Nestle cheque

This is a scanned copy of the letter and payment from Nestle. To their credit, they went above and beyond what was expected. I actually think $10 was overly generous given the packet of lollies probably only cost about $3.

Note to readers: while this is a most fortunate outcome, please do no abuse Nestle's generosity and bombard them with fake complaints. That is cheating.

Email response from Nestle

From: Consumer,Service,RHODES,Consumer Services
Sent: Tuesday, 20 October 2009 11:03 AM
To: Subject: NESTLE Australia Reply - Incident No.: 0014211930

Thank you for your feedback regarding our product, ALLENS Mini Snakes 150g.
We are sorry to hear that you have not enjoyed this product. We understand your disappointment and sincerely hope that this incident will not deter you from purchasing other products in our range.
We welcome and value your comments as this allows us to review our products and make changes when necessary.
We have arranged to send you a reimbursement cheque through the mail that we hope you will be able to use to purchase some other products in our range to enjoy.

Sincerely,
John Grant (name changed)
FOOD ADVISER
Nutrition, Health and Wellness is at the heart of everything we do.

ALLENS Mini Snakes 150g - letter to Nestle

This is the letter I sent to Nestle on 19/10/09 regarding one of their new products:

I am very disappointed with the taste of the 25% reduced sugar lollies. On the packet it states "100% yummy".

On what grounds do you base this claim? I believe this is false advertising.

I tried to share the packet with work colleagues and yet I still have half a packet left, which would normally be most surprising as I work with a flock of seagulls (metaphorically speaking).

I think 25% less sugar means 100% less taste. Did you actually do any market research before putting this product on the supermarket shelves?

I thought buying these lollies would give me the satisfaction of a 3pm chocolate with the guilt factor of merely a celery stick. Instead I am hungry and heartbroken.

If you want to send me any free stuff as compensation, please ensure it is some kind of proper sweet -- like Milo Bar or KitKat.

PS: I also noticed when you click on Allens 25% less sugar lollies on your website it says "page not found". Perhaps you have nothing to say....

Welcome to There, I said it.

Ever had a tiny gripe that you just never had the guts to speak up about?

Well I got sick of biting my tongue and decided instead to bite the bullet and start letting companies know what irks me - no matter how big or small the issue.

The point is not to make anyone feel bad. It is not to cost someone their job. It is not even about getting free stuff. The point, my friends, is to let the people in charge know how they can improve their products and services (and maybe get a laugh in the mean time).

Having worked in retail, call centres and marketing departments, I have a fair appreciation of how the person on the receiving end of a complaint letter feels. Being cranky is one thing, but if you want action, you need to consider the "needs" of the person who needs to act upon your correspondence.

They don't want to hear you whinge - they want suggestions for improvement. And I tell you this, they are more likely to act upon your letter if you make it stand out. How do I do that? I make it funny.

I've written a number of "complaint" letters over the years, and have received some great results. Obviously it hasn't made me rich but I've always received a good reaction - either something for free, monetary compensation, or in the very least, a phone call or email from a very appreciative customer service representative.

From time to time I will post my complaint letters and let you know the results.

Please feel free to let me know what you think of these letters, or send me examples of similar situations. Why not have a crack at writing your own complaint letter?

There, I said it.

PS - I figured it was important to add a disclaimer. All posts on this blog are my own work, except for comments, and unless another source has been credited. In some cases the names of individuals and/or companies may be deleted or changed. Currently I am allowing anybody to post comments on this site - please do not abuse this privilege. Please feel free to click on the ads on the right hand side of this page, if the subject matter interests you.