Customer Service reps on the phone or employees working the floor of a retail store are directly in the line of fire when it comes to customer complaints. "Oh, I sure do know that." You have to be cognizant of the fact that someone else far angrier than you bit their head off 15 minutes prior to you coming in. "I used to work in customer service, too. I was real good about calming down Callers From Hell, because I know what it's like to be one. Of course I didn't tell them that!"

I'm just as guilty of going postal on companies when I'm not satisfied with their level of service. My fights on the phone with Ford Motor Company and Verizon Wireless are the stuff legends are made of. I've actually gotten a law passed about some of this. True!" I'm sure my calls have been turned into training scenarios for when to deal with a psycho customer.

Having worked customer service, I hate people like myself. If I am in control of my temper and took the time to take a few deep breaths before I call to a company and complain, I can be quite civil and manage to get what I need done. Otherwise, I fly off the handle and not even a freight train colliding with me head on could stop me. Granted, I have found success with my rage. "Hey. When I was in Europe decades ago, when phone service was hard to make to the United States, I had an experience of being rude. The operators there speak probably 5 languages, and so are very important. I tried this tactic that works in the USA, and the operator hung up on me." It's been some time since I've used it strategically to get what I want out of a company but that is probably for the best. It isn't a healthy behavior.

If you work, take your hourly salary as what it costs per hour to talk to a company. Think about what you are trying to resolve with said company. In the end, is it worth lodging the complaint and wasting an hour's worth of your salary to resolve? Or, will you get more in return? I won't call anywhere about a mistake less than $25. As soon as you hit $25.01, expect a call from me. If you have to drive anywhere to resolve the problem, consider how much MPG your car gets and the price of fuel. Is it worth your salary + traveling expenses? Probably not. "Oh, yes -- I definitely TRY to remember to let go of something if it is not worth my time and effort. "

If we are talking about a cordless landline phone and not a cell phone, wouldn't it perhaps be less expensive to buy a new phone and move on? "These are very expensive hand sets and the only ones for people who have mild hearing problems." If it's a cell phone, I wholeheartedly understand. If that's the case, I used to be in the industry for a number of years and have advocated on people's behalf a number of times. If you are willing, I would be more than happy to hear you out about your situation and see if there is anything I could do to help you and advise next steps. "Thanks so much -- I changed companies, and so far so good."