The power of the individual to compete with companies that do them wrong has for many been small compared to the power of the big corporations. <\/p>\n
When individuals managed to get the refunds or apologies for bad service, it made the headlines – especially if the original events that triggered the consumer response were beyond both belief and common sense. <\/p>\n
The consumer and the individual was the little guy beating the big guy.<\/p>\n
Now the tides are beginning to change, and they are changing for two reasons. The first is a social change – people are getting fed up of having to tolerate problems that should never have occurred in the first place. I think that safety and knowledge has come from a combination of TV shows and newspapers that help the consumer. They show people that it is possible to complain and get a reasonable response, although for some the only time they get a reasonable response is when the newspaper or TV get involved.<\/p>\n
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