A take no prisoner attitude is definitely one of the best ways to get what you want from a consumer perspective. But you have to know your legal rights, be able to demonstrate that to people who you talk to (who often don't know them), and be willing to be firm. I'm one of those who doesn't ask for things. I tell them what they're going to do to fix the problem. If they can't, I talk to supervisors. If they can't, I call back during another shift. If they still wont, I go above their heads and have a calmer discussion with an exec or PR rep about the type of image they're presenting. That usually gets me a call back pretty quickly from those supervisors who can suddenly and magically make things happen.

Very firmly worded letters can work well too — sometimes better than calls, especially if you send them certified, return receipt so they know you're tracking them. Seriously, if I ever quit business writing, I'll start a business writing complaint letters. I actually consider them a somewhat amusing challenge. Speaking of which, I have a notice of intent to sue I need to write up next week….

Susan, you mean she paid for the package, got a tracking number, and then was told "Oh, we won't track it"??? What the hell? Academia works on its own set of laws and rules – drives me insane!

Nikki, that's absurd. And we're locked into these contracts, held captive and subjected to bad service. I think it should be illegal.

Valerie, I agree completely. I had a mechanic "create" work on my car. On my third trip to him, I was on to him. If I'd had proof he was breaking this stuff, he'd be in jail right now. That two people in the same office with different cars had the exact same problem after a simple inspection – that's fishy. My mechanic back home said in 20 years, he'd never replaced that part on ANY car.

Paula, they actually charged you 21 cents for a scrap of fabric? That's so insane! I'd never go back, and I'd send them a letter telling them why.

Wendy, he fussed? He has no right to fuss. It's your house, your money, and your project. He needs to understand it's also your workplace. Yes, it's his, but he certainly knows about what time he'll start – if he doesn't, he's probably not reliable enough for the job.

What I hate? When they say "We'll be there between 8 am and 5 pm." Hell you will. You'll narrow it down to a one- or two-hour window or you can forget it.

With whom do you bank? I've used Popmoney with PNC multiple times, and was updated when the payments were picked up. I also got multiple emails when my sister had failed to pick hers up, including getting a note that the payment had now expired (she waited past 10 days to pick it up). I almost felt overwhelmed by the number of reminders.

Now they're charging me $28 for a DSL that's as slow as molasses, cuts out now and then, and sometimes forgets to give me my e-mail. Yes, I have an older computer with a slower processor. But this is still ridiculous.

Now he said I could downgrade to a slower DSL for $19.95 mos. He rattled off the speed range, and said how slow or fast it really is will depend on my distance from some central location. Computer geek neighbors have said we're in a slow spot. So now I'm wondering….would the downgrade be much different given my computer's already slow processor? Or will that make it interminable?

You would think I asked for the sun, the moon and all the stars in the sky; by the way he reacted to that. He got a bit snotty and told me I could throw on headphones and listen to music or put in earplugs. I explained that neither would work for me and I told him that it would work much simpler for him to tell me when he's going to start. I then added that it was the money from that work that would be paying him.

If it wasn't such a good friend of my father in law's, I probably would've said "Thanks anyway, I'll find someone else."

As the Queen of Complaint Letters, I've decreed 2010 to be the year of complaints. It's not just a consumer's right to complain about poor quality and poor service, it's our collective responsibility. Without our feedback (pro and con), companies will continue their business as usual approach of nickel and diming us to death.

My most recent experience? Yesterday at Jo-Ann Fabrics. I saw some fabric that might work for a project. I asked for a sample so I could make sure the colors worked. Most fabric stores will snip a piece off and send you on your way, knowing you'll probably be back in to buy the fabric. So when the cutter said, "I'll have to charge you for it," I thought she was joking. Then she handed me a cutting slip for a one-inch strip of fabric. The price? 21-cents.

Then I had to stand in line (our local Jo-Ann's is know for its slow, surly staff), causing yet more customers with real purchases to have an even longer wait. The checker said it was silly, but "corporate" made the rules. Hmm…what do you think will cost the store more in the long run: a tiny scrap of fabric (they have to cut more off to even the edges before measuring actual yardage!), or the time and energy spent processing the cutting slip, printing the receipt, and inconveniencing several customers? And let's not forget: I'll be taking my business elsewhere.

Too bad the fabric was cute and the colors were perfect. I'd rather settle for something else from a store that actually values its patrons. I complained to "corporate" and the only way they will retain me as a customer is if they admit their policy is moronic and promise to revoke the sample fees.