I Wanted Fries with That: How to Ask for What You Want and Get What You Need, Paperback

At some point in our lives, we've all experienced a small injustice -- a restaurant botching our lunch order, a business not returning our calls, or a fellow airline passenger squashing us by moving his seat back -- and suffered in silence for fear of offending anyone. When we fail to speak up, however, we end up shortchanging ourselves. In I Wanted Fries with That, Amy Fish encourages readers to stand up for themselves by complaining effectively. In her career as a university ombudsman, Fish has dealt with thousands of complaints -- some trivial, some serious -- and gained actionable insights about what works and what doesn't. Her suggestions will appeal to anyone who wants to speak up and isn't sure where to start, including managers navigating workplace disputes, couples who argue about the same things over and over, and even someone with a friend with bad breath. Illustrating her points with funny real-life stories, Fish reveals pragmatic methods to redress grievances with civility, honesty, and fairness for everyone involved -- whether you're trying to right the wrongs of the world or just claim the French fries you ordered.

As ombudsman at Concordia University in Montreal, Amy Fish resolves complaints from students, faculty, and staff. She has written for the Huffington Post Canada, Reader's Digest, and the Globe and Mail, and appeared on CBC Marketplace and CTV News.