Don’t Spend Your Day on Hold: Attorney Jack Garson Offers Tips for Fixing Problems and Getting the Help You Need
When Target’s credit card system was hacked, millions of people were left holding the (red and white) bag. And imagine how the passengers on the 950 flights that American Airlines cancelled during the week of Thanksgiving felt. We’ve all had a Murphy’s Law kind of day. Just when you’re at your busiest, something goes awry. It can take on many frustrating forms – a broken Internet connection, a cancelled flight, a lost insurance card at the pharmacy – and rarely, if ever, do these problems hit at a time that you have hours to spend resolving them.
In his latest Huffington Post article, “Don’t Take ‘No’ for an Answer: Tips for Going Straight to the Top to Resolve Problems,” attorney and author Jack Garson provides a list of tactics to use when you need answers fast. Garson is no stranger to “battling a behemoth,” as he calls it. His own law firm’s phone lines went down at a very inconvenient time (is there ever a good time to lose your phone lines?) and the fact that they had paid their bill on time meant nothing to the phone company. It wasn’t until Garson took his problem up the ranks of the phone company and enlisted the help of an elected official that their lines were restored.
Persistence and a little leverage can go a long way, as Garson explains:
• Go to the top of the organization. If you’re not getting the answers you want, ask for a supervisor. If they won’t connect you, do a little research and call the head honcho.
• Sometimes it’s helpful to mention bringing the problem to an elected or law enforcement official. This usually helps get the ball rolling.
• Find out where the company is the most vulnerable. It might take some digging, but if you can uncover and mention an area where the company feels insecure, they might be more willing to talk to you.
• Feel like you’re in over your head? Hire an expert. If the IRS is looking for you, an experienced accountant should be in your corner. If it’s a legal matter, find a good lawyer. Let the expert represent you and your interests.
No matter how angry or inconvenienced you are, Garson points out that anger or public humiliation is rarely the solution to a problem. Complaining for the world to hear might make you feel better, but it could also lead to a defamation suit, so be careful with what you publish publicly.
The bottom line? Sometimes David beats Goliath (or, for some lucky people, Target), but it takes some patience and a cool head.
You can read Jack Garson’s article “Don’t Take ‘No’ for an Answer: Tips for Going Straight to the Top to Resolve Problems,” in the Huffington Post.
For more information about Jack Garson visit www.garsonlaw.com.
