Customer Rights (article)

There’s something relatively new about Brazilian citizens’ rights. Our behavior has changed in the last years. We used not to claim about our rights when facing any kind of small problems. Broken appliances, services not well done were situations we did not used to complain. It is really common in the USA to suit manufacturers and service providers for any problem However, in here, this is something new, starting from the last 5 to 10 years. And what are the reasons? I can think of many. Below you’ll find some of them.

 

One of the reasons is that we finally realized that complaining – although sometimes takes a very long time – is the best way to have your investment back or to have an appliance replaced or fixed. We used to be lazy or even ashamed of doing it. But as examples appeared, people started to see the advantages of doing it. Also, the government and the media created new channels which are useful for this. Now, there are government regulators and agencies as PROCON and ANATEL, which are very effective on creating rules and charging the companies when they do not accomplish them.

 

Another reason: in lots of newspapers and magazines there are pages dedicated to customers’ complaints. It is not anymore the fight of Gulliver against the giant. As these giants can have huge damages on their image or in their cash flow due to complaints made on the Justice, they have decided to give customers a chance to make deals and solve the problems in shorter ways with less bad publicity for them. Besides, many vendors have created extended guarantee terms and have improved quality of their products. Since customers are not submissive anymore, they had to change. The ones that have not changed are broken or trying to recreate their image to conquer their customers back.

 

What about you? Have you developed the habit of claiming for your rights? Don’t you think it’s time to do so?  

 

In order to have more fair rates and prices, there is still a long way to run. Only if the biggest part of population understands it we will have better results.   As new generations are getting used to complain, we can be sure we are on the right way. In the other hand, we must keep on my mind that the common sense is important. We shall not act as Americans and suit people and companies for some ridiculous acts. But it is another discussion.