Have you ever gotten bad service at a restaurant? Didn’t get what you expected when you bought a product? You could complain, but you need to know how to complain correctly in order to get what you want.

According to U.S.  News & World Report (via MSN), there are four steps to take:

1. Write it down:  Have a written record of what happened. This, notes U.S. News, “allows you to organize your thoughts into a powerful argument. It also allows you to put both the damage and your requested solution into proper perspective.” You will also have all the details on hand when you need them.

2. Stick with the facts: Don’t exaggerate. “If you have the facts on your side, your case is much stronger,” states the article. “You’ll begin by stating what happened: what was promised to you and who made the promise; what was delivered and how it differed from the promise. Be clear on how the promise differed from the results.” Make sure all the details are precise.

3. Know who can resolve your complaint: Complaining to the wrong person will get you nowhere. Always ask for a supervisor or manager—someone who can make decisions.  Sometimes it isn´t easy, however, to get to the right person. “That might take some detective work, such as a phone call to the store to find out the manager’s name or an Internet search to identify the CEO. But be realistic when you choose your problem solver,” reports U.S. News. “A $10 problem should be resolved by the store manager, not a corporate officer.”

4. Know what you want: Don’t just complain for complaining’s sake. Complain to get what you want.  “Unless your goal is just to be heard, know exactly what you want to resolve the matter. Are you looking for a replacement product? A refund? An apology from the company?” according to U.S. News. And be prepared to negotiate. You may simply ask and receive, but you may have to settle for less.  “Know in advance what the minimum is that would make you happy,” the article advises.

Image via @Hijaw, Twitter

Hiyaw Gebreyohannes makes a living making food. The 31-year-old is the owner and founder of Taste of Ethiopia, a company that makes prepared food that is sold in places like Whole Foods and Fairway in New York City.

His culinary roots go back to his mother’s restaurant chain, which spanned across Michigan and Canada. Born in Djibouti, he says his goal is to be “authentic.”

Black Enterprise has added its profile of Gebreyohannes to its Cool Jobs series, showcasing the way he has taken the obvious love that his mother’s customers had for her food to a broader audience.

“I adopt a ‘small-batch philosophy,’” he tells the site. “There is a danger when you beef up production. You don’t want to get to a point where you have to water down the quality of your product.”

To learn more about how Gebreyohannes mixes his passion for food with his passion for business, visit BlackEnterprise.com.

“Best friend” is such a relative term. One day she’s your ace home skillet, the next day you’re not calling her back because she always wants to talk about her crazy issues. Either way celebrities, like us, have BFFs with whom they shop, dine and party.

You’ll notice that almost all the friendship pairs on our list have similar characteristics and even look the same at times…check it out:

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If eating heavy, go for it in the morning.

Your body burns more calories per hour while you are active and moving around, which is likely to be in the morning and afternoon versus the evening.  Therefore, you should save the higher calorie, heavy meals for breakfast and lunch. For dinner try light fare such as a salad or soup.

(ABC News) –It’s the one major drawback of a group dinner out: The check arrives, and everyone struggles to pay in a chaotic clash of cards, cash and IOUs. But the newest version of an iPhone app from PayPal attempts to take the pain out of splitting the bill. Released earlier this week, the application helps PayPal and iPhone customers transfer money by simply bumping their phones together.

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