A consumers' bill of rights.

You have spent 20 minutes waiting in line at the bank to cash a check. Just as you reach the counter, the clerk's phone rings and he spends the next five minutes on the phone. Sound familiar? It should, indicates Richard A. Feinberg, head of Purdue University's Department of Consumer Sciences and Retailing. He says consumer rights infringements such as this one are out of control and that it's time some businesses get a wake-up call.

"Sometimes businesses forget the customer is the one picking up the tab. To make sure [they] get the message, consumers need to do whatever is necessary to get their point across." For instance, he maintains, you should reach over the counter and hang up the phone on that bank clerk. Tired of waiting in line? Knock on the company vice president's door and tell him to get behind the counter and wait on someone. "It may sound radical, but that's exactly what consumers need to do to get the attention they deserve."

To get better service, follow Feinberg's Consumer Rights Top Ten List:

1. Consumers have the right to get what they want. "The days of `If you build it they will come' are long gone. Businesses need to start asking consumers what they want and then giving it to them."

2. Consumers have the right to a "wow." Because virtually every aspect of life is stressful, shopping should be fun. "Believe it or not, it is possible to provide such incredible customer service that the customer says, `Wow, that was one of the greatest experiences of my life!'"

3. Consumers have the right to hear "yes." "When a customer hears phrases like `we can't do that' or `I'll have to ask my manager,' it's time to walk out and spend his or her money elsewhere. Front-line people need to have the power to solve the customer's problem immediately and to their satisfaction."

4. Consumers have a right to complain and get satisfaction. "Consumers are mad as hell, but they're still taking it. Many businesses need to wake up and

   realize that, very soon, customers will reach a point where they won't take it any more. When a consumer complains, he or she is giving the company a chance to make things right. Consumers should take their business elsewhere if complaints don't generate satisfaction."

5. Consumers have the right to value. "People work hard for their money, and they want a product that's worth the time and effort they put into saving to buy it. People don't...