We've handled thousands of Regus cases, and we think you should try to never speak to Regus by phone. Here are three reasons why, in the specific context of someone who has an active Regus dispute and has just sent Regus an initial demand letter.
We're often asked...
"What should I do if Regus calls me to talk about my issue?"
This is a really important question, because if you are not careful, Regus will drain your most valuable resource: your time. As your budgeted man-hours for dealing with your Regus issue deplete, it gets harder for you to continue standing your ground.
Reason # 1: A good demand leaves little reason for a phone call.
That's why you were smart to start by sending that letter to Regus. The letter already explained your complaint and stated your demand. Plus, it clearly gave Regus a time within which to offer a resolution without necessitating further action on your part.
What is a phone call good for? It's good for two-way conversation, and two-way conversation is only necessary if you have an issue with Regus but have not yet clearly articulated...
- The basis for your issue
- Perhaps why that issue matters
- What resolution you are prepared to accept
- The deadline by which you demand that resolution
That is why we always recommend starting the conversation about your issue with a demand letter that clearly articulates all of the key points (above) in writing. Because, once you write that letter and send it to Regus, really, what is there left to talk about? That is exactly the point.
Reason # 2: Time is your most valuable resource in a dispute.
Why then does Regus often first respond to a good demand letter by asking you to speak by phone? Because it gives Regus the opportunity to ignore everything you wrote and instead try to coerce you to start over. It's like when spend four minutes telling someone a story, you wrap up with the punchline and then look for the person's reaction, only to discover that the person tuned out tens seconds in and missed everything you just said. "Do you mind repeating all of that?" We all understand this. Dispute or not, having to repeat yourself is both frustrating and a complete waste of time.
Time is your most valuable resource in a dispute. So, don't let your opponent waste it. There is nothing constructive that Regus might have to say or ask that cannot be written in an email. For Regus, a phone call is mindless way to avoid having to think: to read and understand what you have already written, to plan any follow-up questions, and the clearly articulate those in writing. When you send Regus a demand letter that clearly articulates all of the important points, the burden is on them to think and respond with precision and finality.
This is why we craft demand letter to preempt a back-and-forth between you and Regus. If you think of the demand letter as a question, then by design, the only thing Regus should have to say is yes or no.
Reason # 3: Phone calls are incredibly inefficient.
What if you are not a Veeto member and you have not yet sent Regus your demand letter? Should you consider speaking to Regus by phone then? Again, we think the answer is a resounding no. Why? Because that time would be better spent by first crafting a clear demand letter.
Take a page from the Millennial playbook (Millennials are the first generation to widely dislike phone calls). When you want to order a pizza, nowadays, the phone is not your only option; nor is it your most efficient option. You might be able to tweet your order, place it in a few clicks with a web app, or even fewer click with a mobile app. Out of all of your options, a phone call may be the least efficient.
Why is this? Ever call a pizza place during the dinner rush and hear the person answering the phone huff out a quick, "hold please," before you can even reply? The hold music erupts, and you're left waiting, burning time. It's even worse when you call any company big enough to have an automated phone answering system--banks, cell phone companies, even the local kids museum in our town! These are all minutes you, as the caller, must expend before you get a human being who matches your time spent minute for minute. If you did the math, you would realize that just about any time you hop on a phone call with a business, by the time you hang up, you will have spent more man-hours on that phone call than the business on the on other end of the line. That's not good for economizing your dispute resources. It could lead to you giving up long before your opponent does.
How should you respond if Regus requests a phone call?
Most Veeto members simply reply by email with something like...
"I have already described my complaints and stated my desired resolution. I do not wish to communicate further unless Regus wishes to resolve the matter as requested, and I wish to only communicate about this matter in writing, to [your email address]. As stated in my letter, I will only wait for a limited time before I take further action."
You, of course, can take poetic license here to say whatever you like and however you prefer. The point is to not let Regus rope you into a rabbit-hole conversation that wastes your time and does not get you any closer to resolution.
Keep everything in writing, and request that Regus do the same.
Yes, it takes a little more time upfront each time someone sits down to put pen to paper. But it keeps the process maximally efficient, far more balanced in terms of your time spent versus your opponent's, and it prevents Regus from making undocumented false claims (as they are rumored to do sometimes).
There's less room for tricky stuff between pen and paper.
You don’t have hours to write a demand letter to Regus that may or may not work.
But we do, and our demand letters work. Get started with Veeto by booking a micro-consultation to discuss what your demand letter to Regus should say.
