Not really… only people who live life on easy mode are African Americans everything is handed to them free college, jobs, and almost any gig in the government. Also they seem to be able to get away with whatever they commit the most crimes and barely get a slap in the wrist
Agreed. I’ve not written a WLE but I have had to “speak to the manager” and the advice is spot on for how to effectively complain while not being a jerk. Because yes, sometimes you pay money for goods/services and what you get isn’t what was promised. Don’t be abusive or rude; whoever you are talking to is a) not at fault and b) being mean to them isn’t going to fix it. You want to treat them like an ally in fixing the problem brought to their attention.
@@libraflyter8345 Sometimes even the language used helps a ton subconsciously. Changing it from "what can YOU do to fix the problem?" to "what can WE do to fix the problem?" immediately makes it seem its you + other person vs the issue, rather than you vs the other person. It also goes both ways if you're from a position of authority and say you have an erring subordinate. If they mess up, by going "well what can WE do to fix the issue?" helps disarm them and you can both work towards a problem-solving approach than a blame-centric one.
Remember folks - businesses WILL screw you over, and complaining about it doesn’t automatically make you a Karen!! We live in a fallen world ruled by money, and if someone has taken your money for a good/service and failed to deliver on it, you don’t have to feel bad about asking for restitution
The difference is identifying is the thing that happened a) going to affect you tomorrow [lost income, physical harm, *significant* time loss, etc] b) something you want justice for [rather than petty revenge], c) able to be solved by the party you're taking to, d) *genuinely* not your fault? Being a Karen is about punching down, not standing up for yourself. They don't want solutions, they want to be *right*. They get what they want by being mean and loud, and then they don't leave, despite threatening to never return. They offer rage to anyone representing their target in the loosest way - angry at a cashier over a bad label, angry at returns counter over a manufacture's issue, angry at a groundskeeper over a storm closure. It also doesn't matter if they are right, or even at fault. The world is the problem. Using your agency to hold companies accountable doesn't make you a Karen - in fact it can be a righteous cause - being an obnoxious, demanding, occasionally bigoted 💩🧠 to everyone between you and your perceived resolution is what makes you a Karen.
piggybacking off this, the empathy part of demanding restitution is so so important. The person working the customer support desk didn't sell you the defective product, so launching personal attacks/blame game against them isn't going to help resolve the issue. That being said, if it becomes apparent through the interaction that the company is using their underpaid workers as human shields against accountability, that might be a serious enough situation that lawyers need to become involved. If that's the case, it's worth putting out feelers to see if there are other customers with the same grievance as you, and to assess the cost/benefit of working together to take this deceptive business to court. It may sound daunting, but class-action lawsuits are filed every day and they're an important tool for making shitty businesses a bit less shitty.
Yup, all of this is true. Act with confidence, but also empathy, and people will more often than not answer favorably to your demands. As long as you're willing to be polite and kind, while still putting in the energy that prevents people from just ignoring you, things WILL work out.
It's a difficult balance, but highly effective! I'm still perfecting the "energy that prevents people from ignoring you" but by god, my mom had the Supreme Court giving her VIP tickets because they messed up the lines and didn't let us in when we waited outside for admittance for a few hours. When you master it, hardly anyone will refuse.
My mother once bought an $80 snowblower. It was very small, electric, and couldn't really handle anything more than 2 inches of powdersnow. 1 year warranty, it broke after 2 uses. Going back to the same store, she finds out that the model is discontinued. She asserts that she needs a new snowblower and won't be leaving until the issue is resolved. Almost an hour and 3 employees later, she leaves with a over $300 gas powered behemoth of a snowblower for free. She still phrased it as if the big one was a compromise because they didn't have one smaller than that and she wanted something smaller and electric. This is that power.
This is my mom to a T. Once our family visited Washington D.C. and I, her very obsessive teenaged daughter, had taken an interest in law. We arrived to wait for admittance to the Supreme Court about 4.5 hours before court started; it was dark and cold and the line was already long as we had the misfortune of picking a day that a meaningful technology case was being heard. After people entered for the first case and many of us were left outside, the guards split us into two lines, one for 5 minute viewing from the balcony and one to wait for admittance for the second case. We were assured that if we were currently in line for the second case, that we would be allowed in. The second case was heard without us even being informed and we were told to disperse when the justices started leaving the courthouse for lunch! My mom and I may have our differences but in that moment she was 100% aligned with my interests. Somehow she got us all the way through the area open for touring, up multiple levels of management, and procured us VIP tickets for the following day. We walked in shortly before the case started and sat next to a representative of the community of interest in the case. Like your mom, she accepted the tickets graciously but with the air that this was only acceptable due to her extreme tolerance and generosity, as we had intended to watch the previous day. It was an amazing experience for me at the time and ironically years later I ended up applying to law schools.
"Step 6: show them the knife" is so handy and the threat is real. I was certain "reasonable accommodations" was going to get the HOA off my back but it didn't! 18 months later I ended up getting a $15k settlement out of it.
Leaving out the Q&A is rough, there were so many great questions that Alexis gave great advice to and plenty of hilarious moments like Rekha's story about her WLE. Future Smartypants segments need their Q&As left in when you highlight them on youtube
It's really in Dropout's best interest to keep the q&a portions in. I have heard other people share this sentiment but am not sure it has caught the right person's attention so want to echo it. I really love sharing Dropout content with non-subscribers, so it's disappointing when it doesn't reflect the full delight of the viewer experience. Just passing along useful feedback! Thank you! ... So, am I officially a white lady Menace?
@@stratamajoromg I'm just here being a silly billy while Alexis is already up in these comments! What a gem 😍 (Also surprising bonus - the feedback _has_ made it to someone with power to do something about it or escalate it to someone who can 🤯)
@@CalamityCannonhow much is dropout? Is it all on RUclips or is it like an app or something? I run into these vids often and always enjoy them but this structure is confusing to me
I love these.... I've seen a type of pre-prepared comedy proposal slide stand up, but you guys are RAZOR Polished!!! It's so feeds my brains need for sophisticated silliness!!! Thank you!!!
HIGHLY recommend the "Ask A Manager" blog, it is absolutely full of advice like this. It's tailored for the business world but as another autistic lady it has helped me IMMENSELY in both my professional and personal life.
This video encouraged me to write a WLE to my housemates, who still haven't paid me back after cleaning expenses, after I came in the house and had to spend days cleaning to get it vaguely habitable. (We have a cleaning schedule now, but I anticipate having to write a great many WLE emails to get them to actually follow it.)
Alexis and another person on Dropout called Tao are partners. His presentation was a tier list of charcuterie board items and it was… contentious to say the least. His opinions were so incredibly unpopular that I thought he ought to get a WLE. So yeah, it’s a Dropout inside joke
I receive escalations at my job and I have a huge amount of respect for customers who can be both polite and tenacious! The best part of this slideshow is how she emphasizes that you can be very direct with your complaints while not trying to get anyone thrown under the bus. Its an effective strategy to ask the company to assign accountability (aka "someone can fix this") rather than blame (aka "someone must be punished for this").
@@bighatenergy make it clear when you ask for what you want. “I need my shipping address updated to my oak st address, but every time I go into the address part of my profile on the website to do so it just resets back to the old elm st one.” Provide supporting documents. (Images of shattered pots, locked doors, destroyed property) (screen shot of where you’re at in the system) CC somebody higher up if ya gotta. Keep it light, keep it friendly, and subtly imply some form of social capital that is relevant to your target. Do not discount the public reviews (reviews have the most weight where their ratio to other reviews is highest, they aren’t as valuable when it’s one of a thousand, but they are pretty valuable when they’re one of 7) If there are any applicable dates, order numbers, tracking numbers, policies, terms or rules that support or reference your issue, include them. Format things to make them as clear as possible. Edit to remove any whining after you’re done. Say thank you, to every person, every time. Clarify, paraphrase, confirm. “Ok, so, you’re saying that I should see that credit by Wednesday, and I’m going to be getting an email with the new tracking number today?” Only use exclamation points to convey gratitude, never anger. “That’s perfect, thank you so much!” Use the name if you can “wonderful, Nikki, thank you for your help!” Assume that they want to help, have the tone of a friend telling another friend that the steaks they bought for the cookout went bad. Admit nothing. Go in with a goal, and accept anything over that goal. Be ready to wait. (Tbh if you’re doing a live chat with a rep, try to be multi tasking with something else so you won’t mind how long they take) Ask for help. Don’t just complain, state your purpose and request assistance. Make sure you’re in the right inbox. “I hope you can help me, I’m having such a hard time with this.” Read the fine print, and don’t sign up for new plans to fix old ones all Willy nilly. Ask things like “this replacement won’t be an additional charge, will it?” GET DEM POINTZ- dude always look for and accept reward points from places you shop at often to sweeten the deal Use one dedicated email address to send these with and check your spam often. Don’t do a contact form if you can avoid one, try to get the proper email address and send a proper email, maybe copy paste the body into a fork too to be thorough
Having to do this on the phone is more terrifying but hey, my bank gave me back $200 from an account they improperly closed which means, it does pay to have empathy and taking the time to move through the chain of command to the right manager
Senior in high school here and this is LITERALLY MY LIFE NOW. Want to form a club but the school gov won't accept new ones? Email. Want to do a study but dean says no? Email. Want to install a program on my school computer but there's a blocker? Email. It's really tiring but the skill of asking for things should actually be taught properly, otherwise you can't get anywhere with your goals.
Great presentation from a show full of them. Would honestly rate this in my top 5. Great balance of comedy, actual advice, personal charm. Full episode Q and A is highly recommended if you havent seen it before.
Well, this was shockingly convenient timing because I was actually working on drafting an email to my professor. Super helpful! Part of it reminded me of what my mum taught me about bullet pointing things, depending on the subject of the email, but yeah well done! Better taught than what I learned in school.
😂 Audrinas unite! I recently got myself a free one year subscription to a paid app. I politely and patiently let them know about some issues and glitches with the app. I did not ask for a refund or a free subscription. They just offered it.
Uh... without even watching this, this is how I'm currently motivating the powers that be to finally replace the cabinet we took out of my classroom A YEAR AGO for nearly concussing me every time I opened it.
What the heck? I thought this was a comedy channel, not a “you will actually learn a life skill that could benefit you economically, socially, or politically in the future”. I mean, I still laughed.
Here is the real lesson Alexis is giving. Corporations don't give a shit about you, you have to ask. BUT the people that run the appeals are all people. So in a Hotel be kind to the staff, in a train be kind to the ticket guy, in an a shop be kind to the clerk etc. they didn't make the rules but they know how to bend em and get you stuff 😊
I used to work in a corporate job and i was the point of contact for our vendors. This is great advice and tricks i would use daily in that job to get what i needed.
5:22 This one killed me after reading her email at 3:37 and noticing that it says "scheduled to fun for three hours." To be fair, this event sounded like it was supposed to be scheduled fun for three hours, but she got only two. Perhaps a small typo or two is party of the 200 level technique.
I will be going into work for the first time in a week on Monday and will be using this technique on ANY whiff of BS that is lying in wait within my inbox.
I wrote an email like this about 2 years ago and got to about the point that where they were all “thank you for sharing your experience bla bla bla” but then I got nervous and didn’t know how to respond. It’s nice to know I have a flow chart for this next time 👍🏽
Please sirs and madames can we have more SmartyPants talks from Miss Alexis Rhiannon! Bravo, I learned so much... though I do think I put as much of this as possible into practice in my daily life... as respect for the 'knowledge' I gain from her wise few years of experience.
I’m 99.9% sure I was working that party as a cater waiter. I still have some of the aprons they were giving away in swag. It was chaos and I would not have paid to be there but the scored my first taste of caviar and several bottles of wine at the end of the night.
I actually found that helpful for real. I deal with a lot of bureaucracy to try to change anything or get the things I need for my job, and usually that starts with an email, so actually good advice while still classically hilarious!
As a white woman named Audrey who sends emails, you're missing a key demographic. Corporate emails. I am the person that sends them random emails when I have THOUGHTS. Shoe store, why are the stools to sit on only in the mens section, and there's none in the women's section? Dunkin, why do you always run out of chocolate chip muffins before 1:00? Dunkin, why do so many of your Midwest locations not carry chocolate chip muffins? There's so many problems I need resolved. And only the shoe store answered me.
Not sure if it’s because I’m a white woman, but I can confirm this actually does work when trying to get what you want. The details, the vocabulary, politeness vs casualness, your greeting and sign off and every bit of advice the in the presentation regarding content is key, especially the details. Be careful it isn’t too long though, or they may not read it all. If you feel you can’t get the vibe right because it can be hard to resist saying how you feel directly, I suggest writing while wearing whichever non-Karen white woman expression seems most appropriate in context (eg. the “dealing with customer service smile” or “disappointed but understanding”). Common names and name difficult to spell or pronounce are best accompanied by a last name if you don’t know the recipient personally. Or at least in my case because I’m almost always greeted by an incorrect pronunciation or “How do you pronounce your name?” when it could easily be “Miss [much more readable surname]”. Or just assert dominance by correcting them politely but firmly.
I had trouble deciding how much of this was comedy and how much of it was real. It felt like comedy, but it also felt like reality. But I loved the "hello, as a customer I'm going to tell you how to run the business properly without knowing what's going on" approach. One thing that was unrealistic was that you get anything other than automated response and even if it was a real person reading, they'd just copy paste the usual response thanking for the feedback and empty words that shows that they didn't even read your feedback. And it'll never get past that point.
What’s even better is the Ardicha- that’s my uber brilliant educated Black mother who gets her way when she asks anyone for most of the points listed here but will usually pick up the phone instead of sending an email and adds an edge of sass and dash of pettiness when needed.
Oh, shit, so that's what I've been doing. So far this year I've gotten a refund from my storage place, a steep discount on my phone service, and convinced my former landlords to still be references. Same steps. Same outcomes. And yes, these were in response to genuine screw ups. The expedited version is the storage place charged me past when they should have, the phone company made four errors that lead to them overcharging me $179, and the landlords appeased a roommate I had and asked me to leave under circumstances that constituted an illegal eviction. So yeah, when the regional manager, someone in the company's presidential office, and a landlord - a freaking landlord - apologize, you know that they know they've done f*cked up.
I'll have to show this to my mother, who HATES the "Karen" meme as that is literally her name ... but who makes calls and emails like this all the time.
I'm an Aubrey and I used to be really embarrassed to write like this. It's good to see that times and etiquette change. Now I have to work really hard to go back in time and be my old self.
@@sindex My Virgo sun needs you to know that I provided screenshots for inclusion in my presentation that were then typed up so they could be enlarged for legibility. That introduced one extra layer of potential human error, and one or two typos got through - totally understandable! Great eye spotting them and not something that at all keeps me awake at night. (A lie.)
Professional writer here; can vouch that writing anything substantial is going to have typos - your skill/competence is irrelevant - and you become blind to them. And that's only something you can wait out in a world without deadlines. Run it by a trusted/paid proofreader/editor? Still might miss. Save paper or whatever but printing out is surprisingly effective, but also not a guarantee by any means! She did this herself! And then showed it to a bunch of detail-oriented nerds. Truly an act of courage 🫡
Kendall passing the buck was exactly how the Barbies ultimately came to rule Barbie Land despite all the strongly worded $300 emails that were sent from the grammatically dolled up WLE Alexis.
This is actually insanely good advice for navigating a lot of corporate spheres, funny and informative
Not really… only people who live life on easy mode are African Americans everything is handed to them free college, jobs, and almost any gig in the government. Also they seem to be able to get away with whatever they commit the most crimes and barely get a slap in the wrist
I LOVE a flowchart where yes and no both end up at the same follow-up step
It’s how you know the process works, lol.
"Am i on the right side of history?" Yes ->
-there is no "no" option here because as a white lady you're by definition on the right side of history.
@@somedud1140 lololol that has NOT been my experience
The most hilarious part about it is that it's actually a useful guide, while being real funny
Agreed. I’ve not written a WLE but I have had to “speak to the manager” and the advice is spot on for how to effectively complain while not being a jerk. Because yes, sometimes you pay money for goods/services and what you get isn’t what was promised. Don’t be abusive or rude; whoever you are talking to is a) not at fault and b) being mean to them isn’t going to fix it. You want to treat them like an ally in fixing the problem brought to their attention.
@@libraflyter8345 Sometimes even the language used helps a ton subconsciously.
Changing it from "what can YOU do to fix the problem?" to "what can WE do to fix the problem?" immediately makes it seem its you + other person vs the issue, rather than you vs the other person.
It also goes both ways if you're from a position of authority and say you have an erring subordinate. If they mess up, by going "well what can WE do to fix the issue?" helps disarm them and you can both work towards a problem-solving approach than a blame-centric one.
Remember folks - businesses WILL screw you over, and complaining about it doesn’t automatically make you a Karen!! We live in a fallen world ruled by money, and if someone has taken your money for a good/service and failed to deliver on it, you don’t have to feel bad about asking for restitution
The difference is identifying is the thing that happened a) going to affect you tomorrow [lost income, physical harm, *significant* time loss, etc] b) something you want justice for [rather than petty revenge], c) able to be solved by the party you're taking to, d) *genuinely* not your fault?
Being a Karen is about punching down, not standing up for yourself. They don't want solutions, they want to be *right*.
They get what they want by being mean and loud, and then they don't leave, despite threatening to never return. They offer rage to anyone representing their target in the loosest way - angry at a cashier over a bad label, angry at returns counter over a manufacture's issue, angry at a groundskeeper over a storm closure. It also doesn't matter if they are right, or even at fault. The world is the problem.
Using your agency to hold companies accountable doesn't make you a Karen - in fact it can be a righteous cause - being an obnoxious, demanding, occasionally bigoted 💩🧠 to everyone between you and your perceived resolution is what makes you a Karen.
piggybacking off this, the empathy part of demanding restitution is so so important. The person working the customer support desk didn't sell you the defective product, so launching personal attacks/blame game against them isn't going to help resolve the issue.
That being said, if it becomes apparent through the interaction that the company is using their underpaid workers as human shields against accountability, that might be a serious enough situation that lawyers need to become involved. If that's the case, it's worth putting out feelers to see if there are other customers with the same grievance as you, and to assess the cost/benefit of working together to take this deceptive business to court. It may sound daunting, but class-action lawsuits are filed every day and they're an important tool for making shitty businesses a bit less shitty.
lol fallen into a world ruled by money, we didn't fall into it, we ran into it like a child seeing gifts on Christmas morning
@@ilovelamp22 that's not even what they said
Fallen implies it was ever up high
I wrote a WLA as a non WL today and actually looked up this episode on Dropout for reference so it's funny that they posted this.
Yup, all of this is true.
Act with confidence, but also empathy, and people will more often than not answer favorably to your demands. As long as you're willing to be polite and kind, while still putting in the energy that prevents people from just ignoring you, things WILL work out.
@@Khint the white girl confidence is inspiring
It's a difficult balance, but highly effective! I'm still perfecting the "energy that prevents people from ignoring you" but by god, my mom had the Supreme Court giving her VIP tickets because they messed up the lines and didn't let us in when we waited outside for admittance for a few hours. When you master it, hardly anyone will refuse.
written like a true white lady
My mother once bought an $80 snowblower. It was very small, electric, and couldn't really handle anything more than 2 inches of powdersnow. 1 year warranty, it broke after 2 uses. Going back to the same store, she finds out that the model is discontinued. She asserts that she needs a new snowblower and won't be leaving until the issue is resolved. Almost an hour and 3 employees later, she leaves with a over $300 gas powered behemoth of a snowblower for free. She still phrased it as if the big one was a compromise because they didn't have one smaller than that and she wanted something smaller and electric. This is that power.
This is my mom to a T. Once our family visited Washington D.C. and I, her very obsessive teenaged daughter, had taken an interest in law. We arrived to wait for admittance to the Supreme Court about 4.5 hours before court started; it was dark and cold and the line was already long as we had the misfortune of picking a day that a meaningful technology case was being heard. After people entered for the first case and many of us were left outside, the guards split us into two lines, one for 5 minute viewing from the balcony and one to wait for admittance for the second case. We were assured that if we were currently in line for the second case, that we would be allowed in. The second case was heard without us even being informed and we were told to disperse when the justices started leaving the courthouse for lunch! My mom and I may have our differences but in that moment she was 100% aligned with my interests. Somehow she got us all the way through the area open for touring, up multiple levels of management, and procured us VIP tickets for the following day. We walked in shortly before the case started and sat next to a representative of the community of interest in the case. Like your mom, she accepted the tickets graciously but with the air that this was only acceptable due to her extreme tolerance and generosity, as we had intended to watch the previous day. It was an amazing experience for me at the time and ironically years later I ended up applying to law schools.
THIS is the presentation I think about the most!! thanks for posting it. It's so funny and actually useful.
high praise, thank you so much!!!
I'm still thinking about spworm unfortunately
@@emmythemac me too sadly :(
“Is it possible to learn this power?”
“...Not from a Jedi”
Enter: Alexis
may die of loving this comment too much
@@stratamajor I may die from you loving my comment ☺️
"Step 6: show them the knife" is so handy and the threat is real. I was certain "reasonable accommodations" was going to get the HOA off my back but it didn't! 18 months later I ended up getting a $15k settlement out of it.
Using just your name as a threat is pretty hardcore though
Leaving out the Q&A is rough, there were so many great questions that Alexis gave great advice to and plenty of hilarious moments like Rekha's story about her WLE. Future Smartypants segments need their Q&As left in when you highlight them on youtube
it's also where we realized i was $2 short!
@@stratamajor Is it too late now to ask for a refund? xD
It's really in Dropout's best interest to keep the q&a portions in. I have heard other people share this sentiment but am not sure it has caught the right person's attention so want to echo it. I really love sharing Dropout content with non-subscribers, so it's disappointing when it doesn't reflect the full delight of the viewer experience. Just passing along useful feedback! Thank you!
...
So, am I officially a white lady Menace?
@@stratamajoromg I'm just here being a silly billy while Alexis is already up in these comments! What a gem 😍 (Also surprising bonus - the feedback _has_ made it to someone with power to do something about it or escalate it to someone who can 🤯)
@@CalamityCannonhow much is dropout? Is it all on RUclips or is it like an app or something? I run into these vids often and always enjoy them but this structure is confusing to me
Can we just appreciate for a second the pairing of the slides with her fit? 🙌
THANK YOU
@@stratamajor It was due :)
I’ve been waiting for this one to drop so I could send it to some friends who need to see this!
this is not a joke, this is some serious writing skill.
I genuinely think about this segment anytime I have to resolve issues in my corporate job thru email, it's so good
Aw, they cut the Q&A section, this show was a pleasant surprise, I hope it gets a 2nd season.
I believe Season 2 was confirmed!
Give them just enough to keep them wanting.
(Opens laptop)
this honestly got me a super expensive refund, thank you dropout
I love these.... I've seen a type of pre-prepared comedy proposal slide stand up, but you guys are RAZOR Polished!!! It's so feeds my brains need for sophisticated silliness!!! Thank you!!!
thank YOU, this is so incredibly kind!!!
@@stratamajor 🤗
Channel your Audrina not your Karen.
As an autistic white lady I really need this as a pdf.
as an autistic white lady myself, i feel that big time
Me three! I took screenshots lol
HIGHLY recommend the "Ask A Manager" blog, it is absolutely full of advice like this. It's tailored for the business world but as another autistic lady it has helped me IMMENSELY in both my professional and personal life.
@@elizabethlockhart2103 I love that!! I'll have to check it out.
I expected shenanigans, yet received dark magic.
My absolute favourite phrase for this style of email: “with all due respect”
This video encouraged me to write a WLE to my housemates, who still haven't paid me back after cleaning expenses, after I came in the house and had to spend days cleaning to get it vaguely habitable. (We have a cleaning schedule now, but I anticipate having to write a great many WLE emails to get them to actually follow it.)
Perfect timing. I know one charcuterie board maker who needs a white lady email URGENTLY.
I... I have GOT to know the details here. Pray tell, what is the charcuterie board drama? (Or is it a Dropout joke I'm not yet in on?)
Alexis and another person on Dropout called Tao are partners. His presentation was a tier list of charcuterie board items and it was… contentious to say the least. His opinions were so incredibly unpopular that I thought he ought to get a WLE. So yeah, it’s a Dropout inside joke
Ha! Explanation appreciated, thank you :}
These are the exact steps i took to bully a pharmacy into giving me my damn prescription after 2 months, hilariously. feeling very seen.
Such a well constructed presentation from Alexis, especially when compared to Tao's charcuterie abomination.
someone in this house has to STAND FOR SOMETHING
@@stratamajor And that thing is that CHARCUTERIE BOARDS ARE NOT LUNCHABLES.
She's the yin to Tao Yang.
@@19torch86 LMAO
@@19torch86 👏👏👏
I came expecting comedy and got so much more. This is fantastic and much-needed advice - everything here is spot on.
I receive escalations at my job and I have a huge amount of respect for customers who can be both polite and tenacious! The best part of this slideshow is how she emphasizes that you can be very direct with your complaints while not trying to get anyone thrown under the bus. Its an effective strategy to ask the company to assign accountability (aka "someone can fix this") rather than blame (aka "someone must be punished for this").
This is the energy I channel into support live chats when I've been overcharged or screwed over by an employee
I could’ve provided so many additional emails to support this presentation! Who knew I was an Audrina! Lovely. I feel so seen :)
Got any tips of your own to add?
@@bighatenergy
make it clear when you ask for what you want. “I need my shipping address updated to my oak st address, but every time I go into the address part of my profile on the website to do so it just resets back to the old elm st one.”
Provide supporting documents. (Images of shattered pots, locked doors, destroyed property) (screen shot of where you’re at in the system)
CC somebody higher up if ya gotta.
Keep it light, keep it friendly, and subtly imply some form of social capital that is relevant to your target.
Do not discount the public reviews (reviews have the most weight where their ratio to other reviews is highest, they aren’t as valuable when it’s one of a thousand, but they are pretty valuable when they’re one of 7)
If there are any applicable dates, order numbers, tracking numbers, policies, terms or rules that support or reference your issue, include them. Format things to make them as clear as possible. Edit to remove any whining after you’re done.
Say thank you, to every person, every time.
Clarify, paraphrase, confirm. “Ok, so, you’re saying that I should see that credit by Wednesday, and I’m going to be getting an email with the new tracking number today?”
Only use exclamation points to convey gratitude, never anger. “That’s perfect, thank you so much!”
Use the name if you can “wonderful, Nikki, thank you for your help!”
Assume that they want to help, have the tone of a friend telling another friend that the steaks they bought for the cookout went bad.
Admit nothing. Go in with a goal, and accept anything over that goal. Be ready to wait. (Tbh if you’re doing a live chat with a rep, try to be multi tasking with something else so you won’t mind how long they take)
Ask for help. Don’t just complain, state your purpose and request assistance. Make sure you’re in the right inbox. “I hope you can help me, I’m having such a hard time with this.”
Read the fine print, and don’t sign up for new plans to fix old ones all Willy nilly. Ask things like “this replacement won’t be an additional charge, will it?”
GET DEM POINTZ- dude always look for and accept reward points from places you shop at often to sweeten the deal
Use one dedicated email address to send these with and check your spam often.
Don’t do a contact form if you can avoid one, try to get the proper email address and send a proper email, maybe copy paste the body into a fork too to be thorough
Having to do this on the phone is more terrifying but hey, my bank gave me back $200 from an account they improperly closed which means, it does pay to have empathy and taking the time to move through the chain of command to the right manager
Senior in high school here and this is LITERALLY MY LIFE NOW. Want to form a club but the school gov won't accept new ones? Email. Want to do a study but dean says no? Email. Want to install a program on my school computer but there's a blocker? Email.
It's really tiring but the skill of asking for things should actually be taught properly, otherwise you can't get anywhere with your goals.
Great presentation from a show full of them. Would honestly rate this in my top 5. Great balance of comedy, actual advice, personal charm. Full episode Q and A is highly recommended if you havent seen it before.
in the middle of a job hunt so this was actually super helpful? and made me realize that some of these emails can be a bit more fun (or deranged) lol
Well, this was shockingly convenient timing because I was actually working on drafting an email to my professor. Super helpful! Part of it reminded me of what my mum taught me about bullet pointing things, depending on the subject of the email, but yeah well done! Better taught than what I learned in school.
😂 Audrinas unite! I recently got myself a free one year subscription to a paid app. I politely and patiently let them know about some issues and glitches with the app. I did not ask for a refund or a free subscription. They just offered it.
Glad this one has flown beyond the paywall, it's so genuinely useful
This is really good advice for sending emails to address your issues with a company or event! Thank you
Uh... without even watching this, this is how I'm currently motivating the powers that be to finally replace the cabinet we took out of my classroom A YEAR AGO for nearly concussing me every time I opened it.
As someone who is an WLE Sender ™️, I've never felt so seen and represented by a powerpoint presentation
This presentation saved me $30
What the heck? I thought this was a comedy channel, not a “you will actually learn a life skill that could benefit you economically, socially, or politically in the future”.
I mean, I still laughed.
Is this Dropout or a TED talk?! Funny and educational 🙂
it's from their show Smartypants i highly recommend it 😁
Here is the real lesson Alexis is giving. Corporations don't give a shit about you, you have to ask. BUT the people that run the appeals are all people. So in a Hotel be kind to the staff, in a train be kind to the ticket guy, in an a shop be kind to the clerk etc. they didn't make the rules but they know how to bend em and get you stuff 😊
I used to work in a corporate job and i was the point of contact for our vendors. This is great advice and tricks i would use daily in that job to get what i needed.
5:22 This one killed me after reading her email at 3:37 and noticing that it says "scheduled to fun for three hours." To be fair, this event sounded like it was supposed to be scheduled fun for three hours, but she got only two. Perhaps a small typo or two is party of the 200 level technique.
While this was funny and witty at times I wouldn't call it comedy, I would just call it insanely useful advice!
It's both honestly
As a black woman I learned early to be an Audrina !😂 Gets me further.
I will be going into work for the first time in a week on Monday and will be using this technique on ANY whiff of BS that is lying in wait within my inbox.
I wrote an email like this about 2 years ago and got to about the point that where they were all “thank you for sharing your experience bla bla bla” but then I got nervous and didn’t know how to respond. It’s nice to know I have a flow chart for this next time 👍🏽
Please sirs and madames can we have more SmartyPants talks from Miss Alexis Rhiannon! Bravo, I learned so much... though I do think I put as much of this as possible into practice in my daily life... as respect for the 'knowledge' I gain from her wise few years of experience.
I’m 99.9% sure I was working that party as a cater waiter. I still have some of the aprons they were giving away in swag. It was chaos and I would not have paid to be there but the scored my first taste of caviar and several bottles of wine at the end of the night.
I actually found that helpful for real. I deal with a lot of bureaucracy to try to change anything or get the things I need for my job, and usually that starts with an email, so actually good advice while still classically hilarious!
My baby niece is named Audrina and I’m just imagining her doing this
A steady drip of water can carve through a mountain.
I’m so awkward over email so this has genuinely been helpful
I love this, it's not only funny, but also damn good advice! 😂👏
As a white woman named Audrey who sends emails, you're missing a key demographic. Corporate emails.
I am the person that sends them random emails when I have THOUGHTS. Shoe store, why are the stools to sit on only in the mens section, and there's none in the women's section? Dunkin, why do you always run out of chocolate chip muffins before 1:00? Dunkin, why do so many of your Midwest locations not carry chocolate chip muffins?
There's so many problems I need resolved. And only the shoe store answered me.
Not sure if it’s because I’m a white woman, but I can confirm this actually does work when trying to get what you want. The details, the vocabulary, politeness vs casualness, your greeting and sign off and every bit of advice the in the presentation regarding content is key, especially the details. Be careful it isn’t too long though, or they may not read it all. If you feel you can’t get the vibe right because it can be hard to resist saying how you feel directly, I suggest writing while wearing whichever non-Karen white woman expression seems most appropriate in context (eg. the “dealing with customer service smile” or “disappointed but understanding”). Common names and name difficult to spell or pronounce are best accompanied by a last name if you don’t know the recipient personally. Or at least in my case because I’m almost always greeted by an incorrect pronunciation or “How do you pronounce your name?” when it could easily be “Miss [much more readable surname]”. Or just assert dominance by correcting them politely but firmly.
as a white teenaged girl i needed this advice for growing up
I loved this so much 😂 Makes me want to dissect a Karen email to break down everything that’s wrong with it
great idea!
I had trouble deciding how much of this was comedy and how much of it was real. It felt like comedy, but it also felt like reality.
But I loved the "hello, as a customer I'm going to tell you how to run the business properly without knowing what's going on" approach.
One thing that was unrealistic was that you get anything other than automated response and even if it was a real person reading, they'd just copy paste the usual response thanking for the feedback and empty words that shows that they didn't even read your feedback. And it'll never get past that point.
there's life past the boilerplate email, i promise! you just gotta stay with it.
Oh nice, just found out I email like a white lady
im afraid ive had to be an audrina to my local election commission as of recent
Perhaps she should send an email to her fiancé about his charcuterie board choices.
I tell him to his face, I'm not a coward
Smartypants Society was great, especially Trapp's and the cicada one.
Ok but the self affirmations were so good. I have to work those down
Very useful, very great way of communicating, and it's rewarded! Great!
As a “woman in IT” this is so so so accurate and validating and FUCKING WORKS
What’s even better is the Ardicha- that’s my uber brilliant educated Black mother who gets her way when she asks anyone for most of the points listed here but will usually pick up the phone instead of sending an email and adds an edge of sass and dash of pettiness when needed.
As an event coordinator, I find this really good, and tbh sounds like correct feedback :D
Wow, this was gripping!! Well done, Alexis! :-)
Step 7, yet the email said "scheduled to fun for three hours" at 3:36, oh no 😨
Oh, shit, so that's what I've been doing.
So far this year I've gotten a refund from my storage place, a steep discount on my phone service, and convinced my former landlords to still be references. Same steps. Same outcomes.
And yes, these were in response to genuine screw ups. The expedited version is the storage place charged me past when they should have, the phone company made four errors that lead to them overcharging me $179, and the landlords appeased a roommate I had and asked me to leave under circumstances that constituted an illegal eviction. So yeah, when the regional manager, someone in the company's presidential office, and a landlord - a freaking landlord - apologize, you know that they know they've done f*cked up.
Reality TV just keeps getting better
I didn't think there was a stereotype that actually nailed me but apparently there is.
very useful, good to know, will save for future reference and further learning.
blonde looks SO good on her omg
very important presentation actually really helpful but i can't stop looking at her hair she makes it look SO stunning
I'll have to show this to my mother, who HATES the "Karen" meme as that is literally her name ... but who makes calls and emails like this all the time.
Passive aggression vs active aggression.
I am not a WL, but that email example actually has a point, even it is supposed to be humour.
Wow this is great ! I haven't even considered the idea of subscribing to Dropout ever since CollegeHumor died away, but this is really nice indeed :)
I got bribed with cookies today to help a client. It worked. Better then any email.
Uh oh! She failed her own Golden Rule with a typo, as seen at 3:44 ('fun' instead of 'run').
You don’t understand…. I know so many people who do this and it is an art you too can master. She is a genius
This is a joke, but it's actually not
Yes! One of the best!
Thank you for the very helpful tutorial 🙏 I will be utilising the power of WLE in the future 👍
Good stuff. Absolutely hilarious😂
Now do one on how to write an email like a black lady!
I'm an Aubrey and I used to be really embarrassed to write like this. It's good to see that times and etiquette change. Now I have to work really hard to go back in time and be my old self.
This is "how not to be a karen" but hidden in a way Karen's would actually listen.
gotta love that incorrect chess board setup :D
the title lowkey had me cackling lol
Hi Alexis!
@3:38 The event was scheduled to FUN for three hours...
screaming crying throwing up
Noticed that as well. Made me wonder about the proofreading part and if she'd circle back to that.
@@sindex My Virgo sun needs you to know that I provided screenshots for inclusion in my presentation that were then typed up so they could be enlarged for legibility. That introduced one extra layer of potential human error, and one or two typos got through - totally understandable! Great eye spotting them and not something that at all keeps me awake at night. (A lie.)
@@stratamajor hah, I get it! I just wondered if it was a setup/punchline waiting to come at first.
Professional writer here; can vouch that writing anything substantial is going to have typos - your skill/competence is irrelevant - and you become blind to them. And that's only something you can wait out in a world without deadlines. Run it by a trusted/paid proofreader/editor? Still might miss. Save paper or whatever but printing out is surprisingly effective, but also not a guarantee by any means!
She did this herself! And then showed it to a bunch of detail-oriented nerds. Truly an act of courage 🫡
Love your content guys ❤❤❤
Kendall passing the buck was exactly how the Barbies ultimately came to rule Barbie Land despite all the strongly worded $300 emails that were sent from the grammatically dolled up WLE Alexis.
Good advice for one option but often this doesn't work and you need to go to other options including credit card disputes and government complaints.
can confirm method works
**claps hysterically**