BY RICHARD TYLER

Ever wonder why you may not have as many customers as you would like? Are you racking your brain to come up with ways to best your competition? The answer to both of these vexing questions is readily available in one powerful report. The report addresses the “Top Ten Consumer Complaints”. It has been my observation over almost four decades of work that every type of company, in every sector is touched by one or more of “Top Ten Consumer Complaints” listed in The Annual Survey Report of State and Local Protection Agencies. The information documented in this Report is exceedingly valuable for anyone looking to positively differentiate and grow their business. The Annual Survey Report of the agencies is conducted by the Consumer Federation of America & the North American Consumer Protection Investigators (NACPI). They do the painstaking job of pulling together all the complaints, issues and trends effecting the consuming public in America. It’s a good idea as you read this to remember that businesses are consumers also, so they too are impacted by the same findings. The beauty of a Report like this is it provides a virtual road map as to how to win over consumers. Fix these issues in your business and once the word gets out the flood gates will open to more business. Herb Weisbaum, also known as ConsumerMan, wrote a good article for CNBC listing the complaints. Herb has been looking out for consumers for over 30 years. His piece is included below. Enjoy the article, but be sure to download the full 62-page Report for full details.

For the PDF from the Consumer Federation of America & the North American Consumer Protection Investigators (NACPI) click:

Consumer Federation of America and the North American Consumer Protection Investigators 2012 Consumer Complaint Survey Report

How would you like to turn the information in the “Top Ten Consumer Complaints” Report into “Profit & Growth” for your business? Not sure how to get started? Don’t waste time and money trying to figure it out. Contact Us today and we will get you on the right path, right away. Read: About Richard Tyler International, Inc.®

BY HERB WEISBAUM | FROM CNBC |

The new list of the top consumer complaints is out and once again problems with auto sales and repairs are No. 1. Home improvement and construction along with credit and debt disputes continue to be high on this year’s list.

Susan Grant, director of consumer protection at the Consumer Federation of America (CFA), said the list shows “the persistence of complaints related to economic hardship” from foreclosure problems to landlords skimping on the heat as well as “the boundless creativity of scammers to find new ways to fleece consumers.”

The top 10 list of consumer complaints for 2012 is based on a survey by CFA and the North American Consumer Protection Investigators (NACPI) of forty state and local consumer protection agencies across the country.

Complaints related to autos are all across the board and include: misrepresenting the true mileage of a used car, selling used vehicles with undisclosed mechanical problems, deceptive sales practices and unlicensed used car dealers.

“It’s really no surprise that auto transactions continue to lead the list of complaints. Not only have cars become more complex and expensive, but many dealers still can’t get it right when it comes to treating their customers fairly and with respect,” said Jack Gillis, CFA’s director of public affairs and author of “The Car Book 2013.”

The report suggests various ways you can protect yourself. They include:

• Get a second opinion about any significant car repair. You’ll probably need to pay for the mechanic’s time, but it could save you money and a lot of hassles in the long run. Get a written estimate so you won’t be surprised by the charge for the diagnosis.
• Before buying a used car, check its history so you’ll know what you’re bargaining for. Most states participate in the National Motor Vehicle Administration, which lets you get information about the title, confirm whether the mileage that shows on the odometer is accurate, and whether the car was previously declared a total wreck.
• Don’t buy any used vehicle until you have it inspected by an independent mechanic you trust to look for hidden mechanical or safety problems.

Here are the rest of the nation’s Top 10 Consumer Complaints for 2012:

2. Home Improvement/Construction: The most common problems reported were shoddy work and failure to start or complete the job on time.

3. Credit/Debt: Complaints ranged from billing and fee disputes to bogus credit repair and mortgage-related fraud. The agencies reported various illegal or abusive debt collection tactics, including harassing phone calls and attempting to collect a debt that was not owed.

4. Utilities: Service problems or billing disputes with phone, cable, satellite, Internet, electric and gas service were frequently cited.

5. Retail Sales: False advertising and other deceptive practices, defective merchandise, problems with rebates, coupons, gift cards and gift certificates and failure to deliver were listed.

6. Services: Complaints included misrepresentations, shoddy work, failure to have required licenses and failure to perform.

7. Home Solicitations: Misrepresentations or failure to deliver in door-to-door, telemarketing or mail solicitations and do-not-call violations were among the complaints.

8. Landlord/Tenant: Unhealthy or unsafe conditions, failure to make repairs or provide promised amenities, deposit and rent disputes as well as illegal eviction tactics were included.

9. Internet Sales: Misrepresentations or other deceptive practices and failure to deliver online purchases were among the complaints.

10. Household Goods: Complaints included misrepresentations, failure to deliver and faulty repairs in connection with furniture or appliances.

The consumer protection agencies were asked what new laws they would like to see passed this year. The list included:

• Require online businesses to have customer service phone numbers with live personnel to make it easier for consumers and consumer agencies to resolve complaints.
• Give consumers an automatic right to cancel vacation travel club memberships, any purchase costing more than $1,000 and any transaction for which they cannot get financing, such as car purchases.
• Telemarketers should be required to keep recordings of the entire calls, not just the portions where consumers agree to the purchases, to capture all representations that were made.
• Consumer contracts and terms of service should be limited to a certain length and required to be written at a sixth-grade reading level.

This story originally appeared on CNBC

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About Richard Tyler

Richard Tyler is President and CEO of Richard Tyler International, Inc.^® as well as a diversified family of successful companies and services. Richard Tyler is an acclaimed Speaker, Trainer, Consultant and Author. Richard Tyler has earned a worldwide reputation for his powerful educational methods and motivational techniques, as well as his experience in all levels of business, corporate education and success training. As Richard says, Remember, “Your success tomorrow is in direct proportion to your ‘Commitment to Excellence®’ today.”™

For more information about Richard Tyler please visit: About Richard Tyler

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