Remember that whole thing about how the customer is always right?

It's so over.

Nowadays, the customer isn't right, and companies don't seem to care.

Ever gone through a drive-through only to get home and discover that your order — the one you waited for and spent money on — is wrong? Gotten home from a store to find you've been overcharged for a product? Opened your just-delivered pizza box to find the wrong toppings?

Sure you have. We all have.

There hasn't really been much you could do about it in the past.

You could call that fast-food joint and let them offer to send you gift certificates in the mail or make it up to you on your next visit. But every time I've called to complain, all I've gotten were broken promises: Gift certificates “lost” in the mail and store managers who have no idea their restaurant owes me.

Calling for the refund of $1.29 I've been overcharged and going back to have my Visa credited isn't an appealing option, especially when you consider the price of a gallon of gas. And I'm never willing to wait an extra hour to get the right pizza delivered.

Writers have the power of the pen. The average consumer, unfortunately, doesn't. But we've all got the Internet, and it has got to be the best way for consumers to stand up for themselves.

Word-of-mouth has long been a way for companies to find new customers. The Internet allows word-of-mouth to travel much farther and to reach many more people.

We need to harness the power of what happens when word-of-mouth meets the Internet to kick corporate America's butt, to let them know we won't stand for poor service and products.

Post to consumer complaint Web sites. Write bulletins about your terrible experiences for your MySpace or Facebook friends. If you blog, mention your woes. And don't hesitate to harness the power of Google to find e-mail addresses or phone numbers for corporate execs.

I recently had an awful banking experience with Wachovia, which bills itself as a beacon of customer service. When I closed my 3-week-old account because of poor customer service, I asked for a person with whom I could file a complaint. I was directed to an 800-number. Unacceptable.

I looked online and found an e-mail address and phone number for the company's CEO. I might not get much out of it, but I feel much better complaining to a CEO than spending hours with 800-number voice messages.

When it comes to poor customer service, the power of the Internet might be just as mighty — if not mightier — than the power of the pen.