Tired of in-your-face advertising? Don't hide under the covers and hope it'll go away on its own–write to the advertisers and tell them what you think!

You may not think complaint letters are important, but they can be a powerful way to express your disappointment. Think of it this way: businesses believe that they are serving you with the best products and services. It's only when you let them know that they're doing something wrong that they can change.

So without further ado (what is an ado, anyway?), here are the steps to writing a letter that gets results.

Modern technology gives us more ways to work, shop, play–and complain. You can send your letter by mail, fax or e-mail, you can fill out the company's online feedback form, or you can call and leave your message on the head honcho's voice mail.

We provide the contact information for some intrusive advertisers on BadAds.org. In the extremely likely event that the company you'd like to send a letter to is one of the millions not included on this site, you can probably find their contact information at Hoovers or Big Yellow.

If your complaint is about what you believe to be a deceptive advertising practice, you might want to send copies of your letter to the Better Business Bureau and the attorney general (see sidebar) of the state where the company does business. Include a CC at the bottom of the letter (i.e., "CC: Better Business Bureau" or "CC: Attorney General Joe Schmoe") so the company knows you mean business.

Address your complaint to the head honcho–not the customer service department, the complaints department, or anyone else. The big cheese (a.k.a. Chief Executive Officer, President or Chairman) has the most power to solve your problem. You can find out his or her name when you get the company's address. While you may not hear from the CEO personally, you're more likely to get action than if you send your letter to anyone else.

Start by identifying what you're complaining about and describe why you're upset. Then tell them how they can make it all better. Do you want them to stop running commercials at your local theater? Do you want your money back because you paid eight bucks to see a commercial? Let them know how they can make you happy!

Now it's time to get serious. Tell the company what you plan to do if your complaint is not dealt with satisfactorily. Will you never visit their theater again? Will you tell your friends and family not to go there? Will you call on your buddy, the President of the United States, to publicly denounce the company?

Be polite and professional; we don't have to tell you that swearing, crayon scrawls, and typos are not the best way to make the company see things your way. You may be mad, but a clear, polite letter will get better results than a sloppy, angry one. Finally, thank the company for dealing with your complaint.

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