Dad's consumer savvy lives on in these everyday tips

There are plenty of times when I miss the voice of my father, Henry Gilgoff, who was a writer for Newsday for several decades until his death in 2006. I miss his voice when I need a rational opinion or words of encouragement. I miss his voice when I'm struggling with an issue of ethics. I also miss his voice when I am having trouble with a consumer problem, since investigating and resolving such issues were his specialty.

For the last several years of his career, my father wrote a consumer advocacy column called "It's Your Money." Each column featured a local reader facing a consumer challenge. My father would try to help resolve the issue while giving readers advice that could help them in similar situations.

His persona as a consumer columnist was similar in a lot of ways to his persona in real life: cautious, honest and devoted to concepts of fairness and justice. He was an incredibly good listener, idealistic in many ways, but also very practical.

I find myself utilizing my father's consumer wisdom daily - making calls to have my cell phone bill adjusted, researching a mysterious charge on my credit card or informing my health insurance company that it was overcharging me for an essential prescription. I am grateful to my father for teaching me how to navigate the complex jungle of these "consumer phone calls."

Signing up for new services, resolving disputed charges and preauthorization of a health-care procedure are just a few of the phone situations we deal with as consumers. Nowadays, you are likely to invest 20 minutes manipulating an automated system before you can speak to a real person. When you finally get through, you want the interaction to count.

I would listen to my father make these phone calls from our dining room table. He always had a pad in front of him, taking notes while flipping his pen, end over end, catching it each time. (For years, this habit intrigued Newsday colleagues who marveled at his ability to do this - without looking - for extended periods.)

It didn't matter if he was speaking to a customer service agent or a company president, his calls always began the same way, by introducing himself politely and confirming the name of the person he was speaking with. Offering his name first made identification seem like a cordial obligation rather than something confrontational or investigative.

Once he got the representative's name, he would continue in the same convivial way. If he was extremely angry about the matter that prompted his call, you'd never know it. He used to remind me that the person on the other end did nothing to create the problem. He made a distinction between a displeasure with company policy and displeasure with an individual. Customer service representatives have to make the same sort of consumer phone calls that we do, and you can get better results eliciting empathy and avoiding the "you against me" dynamic.

My father also believed in accountability. During his consumer calls, he would not only take notes but also make reference to the specific dates and names of people he'd spoken with in the past, maybe even quoting what they had told him. (If often takes more than one call to resolve a problem.) Referencing previous calls establishes that you are a careful consumer keeping records of your experience.

One important technique my father employed was to ask for a supervisor. It is important to do this in a calm, friendly way, or you could find yourself mysteriously disconnected during the transfer. My father would say things like, "Well, Ms. Gonzales, thank you so much for your help, your service has been excellent. But I'd like to speak with a supervisor about it."

Don't hesitate to ask for a supervisor. In general, they have a more extensive knowledge of company policies and more authority to override a policy when they think it is appropriate.

If you have been a client of this company for a long time, it never hurts to mention that you're a consistent, loyal customer whose impression of the company will be affected if your problem isn't resolved. If you feel you deserve some type of compensation for an error, be specific about what it should be. If you think you are being treated unjustly, mention a visit to the Better Business Bureau website (bbb.org). My father would do this delicately, and never in a threatening manner. For example, "I see on the Better Business Bureau website your company had very few complaints in the past year, so I know you're dedicated to good customer service." Of course, this is more effective with a company owner, or someone else with a vested interest in the long-term success of the business.

If you feel like your inquiries are being met with standardized responses, they probably are. Many representatives and supervisors are trained to recite company policies. Many times I heard my father say, "I understand and appreciate your company policy, but I think in this specific situation there should be an exception." If you repeat this phrase several times and you're still being met with opposition, your problem may not be resolved in this phone call. "You can't win them all," my father would say.

All this might seem like a lot of thought to put into a complaint, but big companies spend vast amounts of time and money, researching and training their reps to deal with consumers in an efficient and cost-effective manner. It is worth planning your strategy for these calls, and remember that no matter what our age, we should all communicate with each other as consumers.

When I do that, I know I am being practical and also being true to my father's legacy.