Does anyone care about customer service any more?

[Scott Shepherd]

It's one of those days. I've had 3 customer service issues today, where I can't get resolution through the companies.

Biggest one, I ordered some tooling, and in the photograph, it showed an item (1 of about 4). In the description, it said that it contained the item, all items, 1-4. It gets here, it doesn't have item 1 with it.

I call them and I'm told I didn't order the kit and it would be an additional $35 plus shipping for the extra item.

I explain it's in the photo.

Doesn't matter, that's a photo of the kit, and you didn't order the kit.

Okay, so let's look at the description. The description says "Item 1,2,3, and 4".

It doesn't include #1.

But the description says it does.

Well it doesn't.Do you want to buy #1?

No, I already bought it, you just won't ship it to me.

No you didn't, you bought the unit, not the kit.

What makes it the kit?

#1.

It says in the description #1 is included.

It's included in the kit, you didn't order the kit.

What's the part number of the kit?

-005

Well, I ordered -006.

Which is not the kit.

How come the description on -006 says it includes #1,2,3,4?

It doesn't.

Yes it does, I'm looking right at it.

No it doesn't, I'm looking in the catalog at it.

I ordered it off your website and on the website it does.

Well, I'm not sending it.

Can I speak to your manager?

::::::music while on hold::::::::

Original operator returns.


No one is available, can I take your information and someone will call you?


I know the general rule is not to drink before noon, but with customer service like this, it's pushing me to move to a different time zone on my drinking clock :)

[Marty Paulus]

Scott, Just remember the old Jimmy Buffett Rule:

It's 5:00 somewhere!

Hang in there.

[Anthony Scira]

Most places do not pay or treat their employees well enough to care about customer service anymore.

[Scott Shepherd]

I might add this was my first order with them, so how's that for a great first impression?!!!!????!!?

[Robert McGowen]

I am guessing that if you ordered it, you used a credit card. Call the company and tell them you will be contesting the charge, which is very easy to do on the credit card company's website. Ask them if they would like to make arrangements to have the item shipped back to them? It usually gets resolved fairly quickly from there.

[Rod Sheridan]

Customer service is one of those things that starts at the top, and flows down through the employees.

Companies that strive for excellence spend a lot of time and money training their people, developing a culture of "service ownership" and equipping their people with the authority and ability to make the experience right for the customer.

In contrast, others seem to just want to do the bare minimum.

I agree, it sure is disappointing when you run into a poor example of customer service.

Regards, Rod.

[Scott Shepherd]

Ask them if they would like to make arrangements to have the item shipped back to them? It usually gets resolved fairly quickly from there.

They beat me to that. I told them they had a legal obligation to sell me what was described in their advertisement. They said "Well, then send it back". I said I don't want to send it back, I want what I ordered.

I even said they were violating the law by not selling what was advertised. His response was "Do you want to talk to our HR department to find out our legal contact information?".

Forgot ALL about the credit card deal. I'll look into that for sure if they don't resolve it. That'll teach them, but then again, I'll probably have to send the item back, which I need to be using today. It's enough stuff for me to use, but not what was advertised and sold.

[Jim Rimmer]

I know the general rule is not to drink before noon, but with customer service like this, it's pushing me to move to a different time zone on my drinking clock :)
You can't spend all day drinking if you don't start in the morning.

[Belinda Barfield]

You can't spend all day drinking if you don't start in the morning.

What Jim said! (St. Patrick's Day is tomorrow?)

Steve, it would seem there would be some sort of legal recourse if the photo on the website clearly shows the items with the description as you stated. On the other hand, is it worth the financial burden to fight it? I think many times websites aren't updated to reflect the current practices, etc., of the company. I had a big argument with a florist recently. I wanted to send flowers to my SIL on her birthday, which just happened to be the day before Valentine's day. I looked at the website, then called to order. This was a florist in the small town where my SIL lives. I told the florist what I wanted, and she told me the price. I pointed out that the price she gave me was not the same as listed on the website. She then explained that because it was "Valentine's season" I would have to pay $10 more for the arrangement. I asked why that info wasn't posted on the website and she basically said it was because she didn't have time to "keep that thing up".:eek: I paid the extra $10 but I wasn't happy about it. I did so because I know that flowers are more expensive wholesale, as well as retail, on that holiday of holidays. I still think she should have updated her website, as should the company you are dealing with. Imagine the heat you would get if you listed an unengraved item, shown with engraving, but did not specify that engraving was not included. I'm guessing you would admit to the error and throw in the engraving.

[Scott Shepherd]

Interesting turn of events on this one. Got a call yesterday afternoon from the company and it was a call from customer service welcoming us as a new customer and wanting to let us know they were there for future needs.

I explained there would be no future needs from their company due to the issues on the first, and only order.

She was shocked and said she'd look into it and call me back.

Phone rang first thing this morning, it was her, and she said "You'll be getting a call from someone shortly".

Phone rings a few minutes later, it's the VP of sales. He said "I'm looking at this issue and well, by golly (apparently he was from the South ;) ), we owe you Item #1. He said he looked at the website and it clearly shows the photo and the description, including item #1.

He apologized and said it would be shipped today. Super nice guy, super friendly.

So SOMEONE at the company obviously cares about customer service!

[Robert McGowen]

So SOMEONE at the company obviously cares about customer service!

Or maybe they just happen to read Sawmill Creek and deduced that they were about to lose several thousand customers when their name got out? Way to go Scott!

[Chuck Wintle]

Customer service is one of those things that starts at the top, and flows down through the employees.

Companies that strive for excellence spend a lot of time and money training their people, developing a culture of "service ownership" and equipping their people with the authority and ability to make the experience right for the customer.

In contrast, others seem to just want to do the bare minimum.

I agree, it sure is disappointing when you run into a poor example of customer service.

Regards, Rod.
Rod,
I have to agree....Lee Valley being a very good example of going the extra mile to please customers. they would be in trouble if all companies tried to do the same. :D

[Karl Card]

another thing you can do is to call the better business bureau or file a complaint on line... it is possible it may do nothing but once in awhile when I file with the BBB the business goes out of there way to make it go away.... I have used there resolution service 3 times now and in my favor twice..

[Tom Winship]

Yesterday, a plumber was supposed to be here at 4 PM to work on a leak in a backflow valve. They hadn't showed at 4:30 so my wife called and they said "Oh, we don't work in the rain". My wife asked that they call in that case.

True it had rained off and on all day but not hard, and the valve was under a guttered eave. Isn't there a recession going on in this country or what?

Do most plumbers really not work in the rain?

Tom

[glenn bradley]

I might add this was my first order with them, so how's that for a great first impression?!!!!????!!?

I have a few folks who have lost my business forever based on my "first impression".

[Rich Engelhardt]

Isn't there a recession going on in this country or what?
CS goes down as unemployment goes up.

A sad fact of business life is that when staffing is cut, people that shouldn't be doing a particular job are pressed into doing it.

On paper, the bottom line appears good at first glance, but,,in the end, all it does is cost the company both customers and money - as well as pretty much destroying an employee's attitude.

[Matt Ranum]

Yesterday, a plumber was supposed to be here at 4 PM to work on a leak in a backflow valve. They hadn't showed at 4:30 so my wife called and they said "Oh, we don't work in the rain". My wife asked that they call in that case.

True it had rained off and on all day but not hard, and the valve was under a guttered eave. Isn't there a recession going on in this country or what?

Do most plumbers really not work in the rain?

Tom

Must be they don't sell raincoats in Texas huh? :D

[John Shuk]

Alls well that ends well. At least there was some sort of redemption there.

[Joe Cunningham]

He apologized and said it would be shipped today. Super nice guy, super friendly.

So SOMEONE at the company obviously cares about customer service!

Glad it turned out well for you.

I was going to suggest getting a timestamped page dump of their website with the photo and description for any future action. It would be far too easy for them to change the description and claim you lied.

[Michael MacDonald]

nice job holding the line scott... somewhere, deep in every company, there is someone who cares and can do something about it... trick is finding that person. did you get this VPs phone number? And the big question: now that you have the issue resolved, will you order from them again?

[Scott Shepherd]

Okay, time to revisit this thread :)

I have a need to buy about a dozen "widgets" from a company every year, work related. I have a job that requires 50 widgets right now. So I roll up into the company that sells them, say:

I need 50 widgets.

We don't carry those any longer.

Hummm......I say, okay, but you do have those other widgets that are basically the same thing, right?

We are out of stock on them, how many you need?

50.

We have some coming in on Friday.

How many do you have coming in?

60.

Okay, we'll take 50 of those.

Hold on, I'm not sure I can sell you 50, let me check.

Waiting......

I can't let you have 50 of them.

How about 25?

We can order them for you. It'll take 2-3 weeks.

I can't wait that long, I have a job for them and I need 25 this weekend and the next 25 late next week.

I'd have to order those.

But you have 60 coming in, are they promised to another customer?

No, they aren't sold, but we only sell about 60 a year and I can't let 50 of them go.

Can you let 25 go on Friday?

Maybe. It might be Tuesday before we get them unpacked.

I need them on Friday for a job on Saturday.

I can order them, but you'll have to pay freight.

Can you have them here by Friday?

No, it'll be 2-4 weeks.

But I need them for a job I have now. Can I just get 25?

I'm not sure. Maybe.

Are they sold to someone else?

No, they aren't sold or reserved, but I can't sell 50 of them because we're only getting 60 of them in and I can't let that many go.


That was a $1000 order for them. I left and found another supplier. Hard to believe some people are able to stay in business. I thought the object of selling things was to actually trade cash for product. I guess I missed that day in school.

[glenn bradley]

Yet they are laying people off or not hiring because business is bad, right?

[greg lindsey]

Sometimes it's just getting to the right person...

Last week my modem went out. I called the dsl company and told them that my modem has gone out and could I get a new one. The service rep put me on hold for 20 mins and came back and said I dont have a modem listed with thier company.

I asked her to look at my acct and see if i had been paying for service, she put me back on hold...after a few mins she came back on and said yes I have an acct and it's current. Well, if I have an acct I must have a modem since this modem is the only one that will work with thier service. She asked me where I got that modem, I told her the service man came and installed it. She called me a liar.. litterally, she told me I was lying. I was furious, my wife came into my office and asked me who I was screaming at. I told this woman that obviously her records were wrong and she would only tell me at this point that if I wanted another one it would be 120.00 and two days delivery or I could go to Best Buy and get one for 100.00. I tried to explain that it was only 5 weeks old and that was an unreasonable fee, cant you just warranty it. She said yes, if i had a modem she could, but since It didnt show on thier system I would have to pay.

Ok, let me talk to your disconnection dept, the new lady gets on the phone, I tell her I want to cancel my service, she asked why , I tell her what I went through, she offers me a new modem at no charge, will have it overnighted and gives me 3 months credit.

So far, this one is still working.

Sometimes it's just getting to the right person...:D

[Rick Fisher]

Last week, I emailed a supplier in the USA.. I got a response the next day from a sales rep.. When I told him I was in Canada, he told me he could not sell to me, I would have to deal with the Canadian branch.

So I emailed the Western Canada Rep. on Monday.. They are back east, time change.. On Wednesday, I went to there website and emailed the " General sales " email address.. This morning, I realized I had still not heard from them.. so I called the 1-800 number in Ontario.

I got a press 1 - Press 2 machine.. got to sales, rather than staying on hold, I got 4 names to choose from .. Tried #1 .. Answering machine.. Tried # 2 Answering machine .. Tried #3 Answering machine.. You get the point..

So I hit zero.. for the operator.. It rang about 8 times.. and I got a message saying that the operator was unavailable..

So I left a message with fella # 1..

Odds that I will hear from them.. ???

[Ed Harrow]

LOL, ain't it the truth.

In April I bought a new HP 8500 wireless printer. This was to replace the previous HP wireless printer that had worked flawlessly, until it didn't, and I spent about a month with HP service trying to sort it out. They finally said it needs to be replaced, and they offered me a rebuilt 8500 at a 'special price'. When I tried to ascertain the shipping cost I got dumped back into the "What's wrong with the printer, let us try to help you fix it" line. I found the very same printer, new, at Staples for that same 'special price'.

I brought it home, installed it on two computers and, voila, it only worked on one of them. I struggled and finally got it working, sort-of, with the one and fine with the other. (Sort-of means that it went 'off line' at random times, stopped printing in the middle of a job, etc) After a few weeks or a month of intermitent working on the one, it quit completely on the other one. I called Staples as I'd bought their warranty. 'You need to talk to HP first." I call HP... "Do this, try that, etc, etc." "Do you mind if I take over your computer?" 1.5 hours later, things are fine on the one. Next day I call again for the other computer, 1.5 hours into the process, "Uh-oh." That translated into ANOTHER hour of my time while they played on my computer, changing this, switching that. Less than 3 weeks later the first computer can no longer print on the printer. HP 'requests' I do this, that, and the other thing.

Think I'm going to buy another HP printer? I used to be a wonderful company, one that I used to call on 'professionally'. Messrs Hewlett and Packard wouldn't recognize their child...

[Curt Harms]

"Messrs Hewlett and Packard wouldn't recognize their child..."

Ed, you're not the first to make that observation. Unfortunately I'm not sure who's better. i've had good luck with Brother, probably because I haven't needed customer service often. I did once I and spoke to someone in Knoxville TN. who was able to resolve my issue quickly. U.S. based tech support? And they seem to know what they're talking about? What a concept! :cool:.

[Belinda Barfield]

i've had good luck with Brother, probably because I haven't needed customer service often. I did once I and spoke to someone in Knoxville TN. who was able to resolve my issue quickly. U.S. based tech support? And they seem to know what they're talking about? What a concept! :cool:.

Curt, many years ago I purchased a Brother fax/copier/printer combo. I don't recall at the time why I went with Brother but I recall a lot of folks recommending I go with a "better known" brand. That fax is still kicking other than it needs a new drum (which costs more to replace than the machine was new). I have it at home just in case I ever need to fax and my PC is down. Ten years ago I bought nother Brother fax for my office, again still kicking and I've never had a problem with it. Good company in my opinion.