Stop Shrinking My Food!!! (the continuing saga)

As an investor, I understand that companies are squeezed with inflation too, and many are reluctant to raise prices as their costs go up, because they're afraid consumers will stop buying their products.  But consumers aren't stupid, and many realize that their packages are smaller (and the prices went up anyway).  Shrinking product sizes now, when you've been shrinking product sizes for years is adding insult to injury, and I want it to stop.

124 Of The Worst Examples Of “Shrinkflation” Shared In This Online Group

How to Solve Any Customer Service Challenge

It's been my experience that the best way is to avoid any expression of anger.  Play the frustrated victim appealing to the Customer Service Rep for help.  Always document your calls (names, dates, verbal agreements, etc.).  When you talk to them later, if you're able to show a history, they're more likely to see things your way.  For most companies, they really want you to go away happy (there are still some that just want you to go away).

From US News:


Jon Yates wants to help you. As the official problem solver at the Chicago Tribune, he specializes in getting companies—and government bureaucracies—to do what customers want. Whether you’ve been over-charged by a credit card company or are still missing a tax refund from last year, Yates can probably help.
[50 Ways to Improve Your Finances in 2012]
Not surprisingly, Yates is inundated by requests and can’t solve all consumer crises on his own. That’s why he wrote his new book, What’s Your Problem? Cut Through Red Tape, Challenge the System, and Get Your Money Back, which is designed to help frustrated consumers fix their own problems. With dozens of strategies to overcome even the most stubborn customer service representatives, Yates argues that we can often win the fights we have with companies, as long as we’re persistent—and willing to take our business elsewhere, if necessary. U.S. News asked Yates about his top tips and how he applies them to his own life. Excerpts:
How have you applied your problem solving techniques to your own life?
People ask me all the time if I can simply call a company that has wronged me and tell them who I am— the Problem Solver for the Chicago Tribune. I wish I could. It would make my life a lot easier. But the newspaper's ethics policy strictly prohibits me from using my position for personal gain, so when a company or corporation treats me badly, I use the techniques I've outlined in my book without mentioning my job. And make no mistake, they work.
Recently, my AT&T modem broke, and the telecommunications company wanted to charge me $83 for a replacement. I told the customer service agent that unless they removed the charge, I would take my business to a competitor. When they realized I was willing to cancel service on the spot, they caved, and gave me a credit for $100 to buy a replacement modem of my choice.
It's my cardinal rule of problem solving: always threaten to take your business elsewhere, and follow through if the company doesn't respond. As consumers, we should never reward bad customer service or uncaring corporations. In the book, I relate several other personal consumer triumphs, including one with a local plumber and another with my former health insurance company, which unfairly tried to bill me $14,000 after my daughter was born. It took months to win that battle, but I didn't have to pay a dime.
Have you ever utterly failed at getting the response you want from a company, even after trying your hardest?
Unfortunately, I have failed from time to time. My success rate as the Problem Solver is well over 90 percent, but there are times when a company or contractor simply is not persuaded by the threat of bad publicity. The most frequent example is with companies that have gone out of business. Sometimes, they simply don't have the money to refund customers, or they're knee-deep in litigation that prevents them from issuing a refund.
[How to Complain to Companies (and Get Results)]
What are your top tips or strategies for someone who feels like they are really not making progress with a customer service rep?
If you're not making progress, I always suggest hanging up and calling back. Almost always, you will get another customer service rep, hopefully one who is more understanding and willing to help. I've spent time in a customer call center, and the reality is not all customer service representatives are created equally. Some are really good at what they do, others simply aren't. If you call enough times, you'll eventually get a good one.
If you don't, my advice is to skip the customer call center altogether and go straight to the top. Find a number online for the company's corporate headquarters and call there directly. Ask to speak to the chief executive. If you can't get through, write the chief executive a letter. It works way more often than you'd think. Often, a company's leaders have no idea that customers are being treated poorly, and are so appalled by a disgruntled consumer's letter that they help almost immediately.
What are some common mistakes people make when dealing with companies?
The most common mistake people make is giving up too soon. Often, I talk to people who get frustrated after one or two fruitless calls. Persistence pays off—and so does being a pain the rear. You have to make it clear that you won't stop fighting for yourself, and that not helping you will cost the company more in the long run. I think people often get intimidated and think they can't fight a big corporation, or city hall, or whatever entity they're fighting. It's simply not true. If you have the truth on your side and a willingness to battle, you can almost always win.
Do companies respond quickly to you because you are a reporter, or could the average person without a platform also get those results by applying your strategies?
I definitely have an advantage when I call as a reporter. Companies absolutely hate bad publicity. But you don't have to be a reporter for a major newspaper to get results. The average person who applies good consumer strategies can and will win their battles, if they're prepared, persistent, and willing to do the required work. Besides, you don't need to be a reporter to wield the power of the press. Often, all you have to do is threaten to go to the media, and a company will do the right thing. I get letters all the time from people who say they dropped my name and an erroneous bill was immediately fixed. The power of the press works, even for non-journalists.
[Why Customer Service Has Gotten So Bad]
What's your favorite problem solver story?
My favorite story was one I worked on several years ago, about two individuals—one from India, the other from Poland—who had written me separately saying their applications to become U.S. citizens had become gummed up in the federal immigration office. They had both passed their naturalization tests, and had been told they would be sworn in as citizens within months.
Instead, they had waited years to clear the final hurdle, which was a seemingly innocuous FBI name check. Both were extremely hard-working and patriotic. They wanted nothing more than to become Americans. I called the federal immigration office, and within weeks, the logjam was cleared. Turns out, both has simply become "stuck" in the system, a spokeswoman for the federal government told me. Both were scheduled to become naturalized on the same day, and I attended the ceremony.
It was truly inspiring and humbling. It's the type of problem I like tackling the most—the problems that have deep impacts in people's lives, and also shed light on needless corporate or governmental bureaucracy that needs to be corrected.
You write that you only help people who first tried to help themselves. What do you do differently than they did on their own that makes that difference?
People sometimes become frustrated too quickly and give up before the battle is truly over. As a consumer advocate, once I take on a "problem," I'm like a pit bull. It's not in my nature, but I've learned that such an attitude is often what it takes. I think we could all use a little more pit bull in us.

It's time we stop redundant and superfluous packaging

The next time you're in the supermarket, convenience store, or co-op food store, take a closer look at the packaging.  Things like corn chips, pretzels, and potato chips come in bags, whereas crackers, cookies, and most cereals come in bags that are in boxes.  Why the redundant packaging for nearly similar items?

The increased cost is just one issue.  A bigger problem is the energy and resources needed both to produce and transport the products, as well as the demands superfluous packaging puts on landfills.  All that's really being done here is creating more waste.

This has been a pet peeve of mine for years, but may have reached a level of inanity yesterday, when I read that Del Monte wants to sell individual bananas wrapped in their own plastic bags.  

If bottled water is a ridiculous product (and more people are realizing that it is), then unnecessary packaging of products is equally silly.  An increasing number of municipalities are implementing bottled water bans, encouraging citizens to drink tap water (which is essentially what most bottled water is anyway), filtering their water, or using reusable water bottles to meet their hydrating needs.  Packaging needs to be on their agenda as well, since the excess cardboard boxes and plastic wraps add no value but increase the cost of cities to transport and dispose of trash.

The twenty-first century needs to be the era when humans learned to live sustainably.  If future generations are going to enjoy the same standard of living we do, then we need to adopt practices that don't place an unsustainable burden on the Earth and its scarce resources.

One man's experience becomes an internet embarrassment

From Seeing The Light

Why No One Should Go to Brakes Plus in Colorado Springs

This is an open letter to the president/CEO of Brakes Plus over a recent episode I had at their store on 740 Abbot Lane in Colorado Springs.
I am recommending that if you need your brakes fixed, go somewhere else.

Larry Pisciotta
CEO
Brakes Plus
6911 South Yosemite Street
Centennial, CO 80112
Dear Mr. Pisciotta,
I am writing in regards to some really poor and disrespectful treatment from your Colorado Springs store at 740 Abbot Lane.
1. I was lied to mulitples time about different things
2. My intelligence was insulted and I was spoken down to
3. This store lied to and tried to manipulate my girlfriend
4. It was insinuated that I was not welcome to wait
First, I have strong knowledge and experience as a mechanic. I’ve rebuilt cars since I was a kid helping my dad in the garage fixing a 67 Mustang front end. Then some more experience rebuilding Chevy, Volkswagen, and Jeep engines; transmissions; transfer cases; drive shafts; re-gearing axels; rebuilding complete brake systems; rebuilding carbs; and repairing & rebuilding suspension systems, including lifting Jeeps for extreme off road use. I have also taken classes in auto mechanics, engine rebuilding, electrical repair.
Before my current career, I was in the U.S. Navy as an electrician’s mate specializing in motors and control, electronics, air conditioning systems, ship’s electrical generation, and power distribution.
Second, I am a college graduate with minors in mathematics and physics. Courses I studied for fun while earning a BA in photojournalism. My IQ is in the 140s.
My residence is in Seattle, Wash. I am here in Colorado Springs visiting my girlfriend. As I live in Seattle, flying here with all my tools would be silly.
While driving her 2002 Mercury Sable around Colorado Springs, it developed a groaning noise in the left rear. I knew the brake shoes were rubbing so I went to the parts store to get the necessary parts, including a new wheel cylinder, drum, springs, adjuster, and shoes. Pretty much a complete brake rebuild. The total cost from NAPA was $110 for everything for both rear wheels.
As all my real tools were in Seattle, I borrowed what we could find at her house and her father’s home. We also planned on going to the store if needed to get any extra tools.
When I started to work on her brakes, I was unable to get the drum off the shoes. So we decided to take the car in to Brakes Plus which had the $99 deal for a complete rebuild.
We took her car in to the Brakes Plus at 740 Abbot Lane in Colorado Springs. I called the store and talked with Dale about the issue. I knew the brakes needed changing due to the noise. He said bring the car in so they can look at it.
We took the car in and dropped it off. Dale made a print out for me to read and sign. I noticed there was no indication of the problem I was experiencing that I discussed with him. I asked him why and he replied rather rudely “I’ll inspect the brakes, don’t worry about it.”
He seemed quite upset that I brought this to his attention and even more so when I took a moment and wrote the problem down on the sheet. He seemed unnerved. After all, how are you supposed to diagnose the problem if you don’t listen to your customers, and how is the tech supposed to diagnose the problem if there are no notes?
I stressed I wanted the $99 special as I knew the grinding would indicate that the rotors would need turning, or replacing. I understand the extra cost if the rotors needed replacing. Dale had my phone number as the primary contact, and my girlfriends the second.
Leaving the keys with him, I asked about how long until I would know what is wrong. He said one hour. So I left with my girlfriend to go have a cup of coffee. We felt rather uneasy about leaving the car because Dale kept asking if I was going to stay at the shop.
In less than half an hour, my girlfriend’s phone rang and it was Dale from Brakes Plus. He quoted to my girlfriend the price of $1300. Yes, Thirteen Hundred dollars. He explained to her that the front end needed all new tie rods and needed to be aligned. Dale said to her “All the tie rods are bad which will cause the tires to grip the road and separate which will cause an inside rubbing and you just don’t want that.” I’m sorry, that’s biggest load of crap I’ve heard in years. And for having such a bad front end, it drives pretty damned straight and smooth at 75 mph on the interstate. Maybe everyone should have bad tie rods.
Dale lied about calling me first. I received no such phone call. My phone was sitting next to me on the table as we drank our coffee. “I hope it’s OK I talk to you as I can’t contact Paul.”
The sheet Dale gave me had my phone number correctly printed on it. So they had it.

He also stated that the front brakes had a small amount of pad left and needed to be changed. Also “that all 4 rotors needed to be replaced because they had deep grooves and sure you noticed that when driving the car.” My girlfriend stressed the car had been parked for over a year and a half. Dale responded with “They need to be replaced anyways.”
Also, the car does NOT have disk brakes all around. It has disk brakes in the front, and drums in the rear. It is a 2002 Mercury Sable.
He also said the master cylinder was bad which was causing all 4 brakes to leak fluid. Excuse me, but if the master cylinder is bad, the peddle would not hold it’s position (which it was doing) when sitting at a red light. It would slowly go to the floor as you keep applying pressure due to the worn out rings. Also, the brakes will feel a bit spongy, almost like there is a bit of air in the system.
All this time she was floored and relaying the information to me. She told Dale I would call back.
I called the store back and talked to the supposed mechanic that worked on it. He straight lied to me on several occasions.
First, I told him who I was. Second, he never mentioned anything about the front end, brakes or steering components. He quoted me $495 for just the rear brakes, but brought it down to $308. What happened to your $99 special?
I asked how bad the brakes were and he said “the shoes are metal to metal and the wheel cylinders are leaking.” I told him I had taken the rear tire off and attempted to remove the drum. When I had looked at the shoes, they had a good 1/4″ brake material on them and that there was no indication of leaking fluid. He stuttered and changed the story.
I was, and still am, furious he lied about even inspecting the brakes. There is no way he could have taken the drum off.
I told him to take it off the rack and that I don’t want them touching it.
When I went to get the car, Dale made a print out of the repairs and an estimate. One glaring mistake: I was quoted for repairing the “rear brake calipers and rotors.” The car had rear drums, shoes, and wheel cylinders.
We then took it over to a more honest brake shop. When I relayed what happened, he just shook his head and says he gets a lot of customers that say the same thing.
The mechanic took the car, lifted it on the rack, took all 4 tires off and then spent 20 minutes just trying to remove the left rear drum. As I watched, I just said to myself that there was no way the mechanic at Brakes Plus took it off to inspect it. And I know of no reputable mechanic that will guess at what is wrong without thoroughly investigating the issue.
The mechanic took me into the garage and showed me the front brakes were fine and the pads had plenty of lining left, the steering linkages and tie rods were actually tight, and “well within tolerance,” and that the rear brakes do need changing and that the one rotor needed to be replaced. He also showed me how the return springs were a bit weak and recommended I change them. I agreed and left the vehicle for him to work on.
I am pissed that a company such as Brakes Plus will lie to its customers. I am flabbergasted to how blatantly I was lied to multiple times, how my intelligence was insulted in that I didn’t know automobile mechanics and brake systems. But I am especially pissed on how they lied to and attempted to swindle my girlfriend.
This matter will be brought to the attention of the Colorado State Attorney General’s Office, the Better Business Bureau, and the Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Consumer Protection.
I have also written letters to the editors of several major newspapers, local daily newspapers, online blogs, online consumer sites, and posting this letter and any response I get onto personal websites.
I will not be disrespected by anyone in your company again.
Thank you
Paul Conrad

Stop shrinking my food!

If you're the slightest bit observant, you've noticed how the product sizes in your grocery cart are getting smaller.  Is this a move by the food industry to combat your expanding waistline?  No, it's their way of sneaking in price increases without actually raising the posted price of an item. 

So your can of tuna, which was 6 oz. about a year ago is now 5 oz.  The price looks the same, but since there's 17% less product in the can, you're paying 20% more per ounce than before.

From orange juice to kielbasa, soup to nuts, and everything in between, look at the sizes of the products you're buying.  The odds are good that they've all gotten smaller.

I recently wrote to Classico about their Pesto Sauce.  It was pretty obvious the jar was smaller, and my suspicion was confirmed when I compared it to the older one in my food cabinet.  I was dismayed by the response I received. Either they're using the same spin doctors that politicians use to craft their double speak, or they've been duped themselves into believe the bogus claims they spew out.

Someone from the "Heinz Consumer Resource Center" wrote that "the cost of our ingredients and the materials used to make our jars and lids have risen considerably."  Odd they should say that, given that the Producer Price Index (PPI) hasn't increased much.  In fact, the PPI for the "Fruit and Vegetable Canning" industry was lower in October 2010 than it was in October 2008!

Then this corporate hack proceeded to claim that "'the smaller jar size' also had a positive impact on the environment because it reduced Classico's carbon footprint, since less glass means less fuel used in transportation."  Huh?  The smaller size means more glass and metal per ounce of product.  On an ounce-by-ounce basis, they've actually increased their carbon footprint!

Classico's blatant price increase means I just have to buy more jars to get the same amount of product.  But what about Hillshire Farms kielbasa?  They cut their size from 16 oz. to 14 oz.  But when you buy a jambalaya mix or open your cookbook for a kielbasa recipe, it calls for one pound (16 oz.) of meat.  So now you can't even make your favorite dishes the same way.  And you're paying more per ounce for your food.

I don't think any of these companies gave this move enough thought.  First of all, why do they need to raise prices in a tough economic situation when their costs aren't going up?  Secondly, how often can they do this before we're buying miniature sizes of everything?

I know what's going to happen.  Maybe they'll slash the sizes again to sneak through another price increase.  But eventually they'll have to return to the original size.  And I guarantee you they'll splash a big banner on the label that says "new, larger size!"