Your time is valuable! Don't let others waste it for free

Lost time, money or work due to someone else's error? With persistence and confidence, you can get compensated for others' incompetence.

By: Robert Baron

  It's happened to you. It's happened to me. Those little irritating disturbances that require your time and energy. The cable company makes you wait from noon until 4:00 p.m. and then doesn't show up. The showers are out of order at the gym, causing you to be late for a meeting. You get annoyed, you get into a temporary bad mood, and you spend the rest of your day grumbling about it.
 

Alex was sitting as his computer one afternoon when the power mysteriously went out, taking some of his computer-based work with it. He looked out his window and saw a Manitoba Hydro technician working on the pole outside. He went out and asked the worker what he thought he was doing.

  When it happened to my friend Alex* recently, he did more than get annoyed. He got compensated, and his story is a worthwhile lesson for all consumers.
  Alex was sitting as his computer one afternoon when the power mysteriously went out, taking some of his computer-based work with it. He looked out his window and saw a Manitoba Hydro technician working on the pole outside. He went out and asked the worker what he thought he was doing.
  The Hydro worker asked Alex if a certain person lived in this house. Alex said no. The worker asked Alex if he was sure. "Well I should know," Alex said, getting a little annoyed. Finally, the worker asked if this was a certain house number. "No," my friend said in disbelief.
 

Consumers need to know that they can get results by standing up for themselves when they have suffered damage as a result of mistakes by others.

  You should know that Alex works from home. Much of his work involves the computer. He felt put out, not only at having lost the work he was doing when the power went out but also at having to sort out what exactly was going on now.
  He pointed out to the Hydro worker that he had lost his work and his time, and asked him what he was going to do about it.
  "Nothing," Alex was told.
  "I'd like you to compensate me for my lost work and time." my friend insisted. The technician chuckled and said, "No way."
  This is where most of us would have stopped, if we'd even gotten that far. But Alex was determined, so he asked for the Hydro guy's name. Hydro guy elected to remain anonymous. Alex left it at that but later called Manitoba Hydro, explaining what had happened and repeating his request for compensation. When he got the same negative response he insisted that he be allowed to talk to a more senior person who could address the problem. Eventually he got to someone who understood that Hydro had made a mistake. They agreed to pay damages for Alex's lost work and time, not a lot of money but enough to make a difference.
 

Talk to someone senior. They are more likely to be sensitive to the public relations implications of bad service and bad attitudes.

  Things like this happen all the time and consumers need to know that they can get results by standing up for themselves when they have suffered damage as a result of mistakes by others.
  Alex is a little more experienced at this sort of thing than many people. He is not shy and he has a keen sense of justice. This wasn't the first time something like this had happened to him.
  A few months earlier Alex's Internet Service Provider went down. The problem persisted for several days, during which time he spent a great deal of time on the phone with ISP support staff trying to figure out what happened and what to do. He got several explanations, they tried different things but nothing worked. After a week of reconfiguring - and un-reconfiguring - his system, service mysteriously resumed.
  Because Alex's work depends not only on the computer but also on work he does online and using e-mail, he asked for compensation from the ISP for a week of lost time and income. They hesitated but, as with Hydro, he finally spoke to someone senior enough to offer a month of free service. Alex negotiated them up to six months.
  Alex's experiences offer several lessons for consumers:

1. It's worthwhile to stand up for your time and work, which are valuable.

2. If you suffer inconvenience or injury or damage because of someone else's incompetence, you may well be entitled to compensation.

3. If someone makes a mistake and then tries to deny it or cover it up, you stand a better chance of getting compensation. Talk to someone more senior. They are more likely to be sensitive to the public relations implications of bad service and bad attitudes.

4. Be polite and reasonable at all times. Losing your temper or arguing with technical or office workers won't get you anywhere; they often don't have the authority to make these kinds of decisions. Get their name and ask to be referred to someone more senior. Don't be defeated if they don't cooperate. Call the company and ask to speak to a manager. It's the manager's job is to keep track of what staff is doing and to fix problems that more junior staff can't.

5. Don't be put off by statements like "We don't compensate for that," "It could have happened to anybody", or just plain "No." If you have suffered a real loss, make it clear what the losses are. Persist until you get to someone who can talk reasonably about the problem.

6. The bottom line is that it is probably not worth your time to go to court for compensation in small cases like these, though that is always an option. Small claims courts in each province provide a relatively simple process that does not require a lawyer. But in many cases, you won't have to go that far. Companies are increasingly sensitive to the implications of bad service and obvious mistakes. If they want your continued patronage, they may be prepared to pay.

7. Bartering free services offers the company a chance to compensate without a cash outlay, but don't underestimate the value of your time and work.

[ Front Page ]