Customer Service

[Debi]

I've been following along with K9's poor customer service with his A/C for a week now, and I had stories pop into my head with my own customer service adventures!

What are some of the most frustrating/failed customer service issues you've dealt with?
Did you get things resolved? Did you have to go up the chain of supervisors?
Tell me the tale so I don't feel alone! lol

​

 

[garnetsilver]

We recently went through three attempts to get a plumber in here, due to water backing up in the basement drains. I called the first one, and chatted with the receptionist, who then said she must pass me on to a 'confirmer.' I spoke with the next person, and she proceeded to tell me that she couldn't make me an appointment because their plumber was out sick. I said why did your receptionist give me an appointment? She babbled excuses and then made a different appointment for that weekend.

Saturday we woke early, foregoing our sleep in time, and waited around only to have them call with more excuses. Then they had the nerve to offer another appointment. We accepted, and this time they flat out did not bother to show up. I contacted the second plumber, made an appointment, and they did not show up. I finally remembered a rather well known name around here, and contacted them. They sent someone out when they said they would and he was very nice. He snaked the drains, replaced a leaky pipe, and also fixed the slow drain in the bathroom sink. Everyone was rated accordingly, online!

 

[Duke]

Many years ago, we had a business doing some maintenence in our home. Somehow, in the process, they broke an inexpensive TV stand. Replacement cost was $40-50. Filed the claim the day they broke it before they left, was assured a check would be in the mail.

After several weeks with no check, I called to ask where my check was, and was told the owner would call me back. No return call this time, or with three additional calls. Last call I told the office admin type (who I later learned was the boss's wife) I would give them another week to pay or I'd file suit in Small Claims Court. No payment.

As promised, I filed, they did not show up, I won by default. Still no payment weeks later. I talked to my attorney who told me how simple it was to have the court freeze the guy's bank account (his bank/acct. number stamped on the back of the check I wrote them for the work) until he paid up. I filed the paperwork, and a week later left on a two week business trip where I was unreachable. (Very remote test site.)

About three nights into the trip, I called my wife to check in. She said I had a message on the answering machine from the business owner, and he was unhappy. His message said he had been notified by his bank his accounts were frozen, and that he was not able to pay for supplies or his employees. He said they told him the accts would stay frozn until ordered otherwise by the court.

Court told him they'd unfreeze the acct when Mr Duke received his judgment and he (business) paid court costs. The check was waiting for me when I got back from the desert, but I still had to file more paperwork (in person) with the court to acknowledge he'd paid the judgment.

Unfortunately I was really busy the next three weeks, and wasn't able to get there. He called numerous times during those three weeks, either getting the machine or Mrs Duke telling him I'd call him back. He was in tears. I ignored him.

Finally I had time to go back to the court to sign the paperwork, and his accounts were finally unfrozen, six weeks after the fact. He almost went bankrupt. Jerk.

 

[K9-1]

The list is long! Yet ive still never had bad service at a restaurant! So thats a win!

 

[Stevedog]

This story takes place in a video store, so not exactly a recent encounter. I was in the Army at the time and a few of us were wanting to watch a movie that was always checked out. The guy who worked the counter said they could put me on the reserve list and they would call me when the movie was available. That sounded good at the time so I did that.

About two weeks later there was a surprise field exercise. It was a test to make sure the unit was ready for an emergency deployment. The company staff were notified and we were all woken up at 3:00am on a Wednesday morning to get on a truck and drive out to the desert until the following Friday. When we got back I had a message from the video store that the movie had been ready for me since the previous Thursday. So the next day, Saturday, I went to the video store.

At this point in time they no longer had the movie because I didn't come get it when they called and it was checked out to the next person on the list. Which was understandable. What wasn't understandable was that they were charging me a fee for not getting the movie. Basically they viewed me not getting the movie when it waa available as lost business that burdened other people on the waiting list.

The guy I was talking to was apologetic but said it was store policy. I was upset but it wasn't his fault and he couldn't do anything about it. He did get the manager though who walked out of his office and explained the whole thing to me and why they charge the fee. I nodded along and said very calmly "Okay. I understand that. This is your storevand that's your policy." I pulled out my wallet and the manager stood back looking at me, kind of a smug grim on his face. I turned to the guy working the counter and pointed to a pair of scissors next to him. "Hey, can I borrow those real quick?" The guy didn't really react, he just handed me the scissors. I pulled out my membership card for the store and cut it up on the counter. I gave the guy his scissors back, said "Thank you" and walked out.

I was expecting the manager to follow me out the store but he didn't. I got in my truck and drove away. I never went back to that video store again and never paid them.

 

[Debi]

Many years ago, we had a business doing some maintenence in our home. Somehow, in the process, they broke an inexpensive TV stand. Replacement cost was $40-50. Filed the claim the day they broke it before they left, was assured a check would be in the mail.

After several weeks with no check, I called to ask where my check was, and was told the owner would call me back. No return call this time, or with three additional calls. Last call I told the office admin type (who I later learned was the boss's wife) I would give them another week to pay or I'd file suit in Small Claims Court. No payment.

As promised, I filed, they did not show up, I won by default. Still no payment weeks later. I talked to my attorney who told me how simple it was to have the court freeze the guy's bank account (his bank/acct. number stamped on the back of the check I wrote them for the work) until he paid up. I filed the paperwork, and a week later left on a two week business trip where I was unreachable. (Very remote test site.)

About three nights into the trip, I called my wife to check in. She said I had a message on the answering machine from the business owner, and he was unhappy. His message said he had been notified by his bank his accounts were frozen, and that he was not able to pay for supplies or his employees. He said they told him the accts would stay frozn until ordered otherwise by the court.

Court told him they'd unfreeze the acct when Mr Duke received his judgment and he (business) paid court costs. The check was waiting for me when I got back from the desert, but I still had to file more paperwork (in person) with the court to acknowledge he'd paid the judgment.

Unfortunately I was really busy the next three weeks, and wasn't able to get there. He called numerous times during those three weeks, either getting the machine or Mrs Duke telling him I'd call him back. He was in tears. I ignored him.

Finally I had time to go back to the court to sign the paperwork, and his accounts were finally unfrozen, six weeks after the fact. He almost went bankrupt. Jerk.

Dang! Remind me to never got on your bad side! lol

 

[Duke]

Dang! Remind me to never got on your bad side! lol

As I said before, I'm a teddy bear.

 

[Selectric]

Some years ago i was returning an unopened mini pool that an ex got my girlfriend's daughter. It was a very nice pool but, she did not want it and needed summer clothes instead. I went to the store with pool and receipt in hand for an in- store credit. The rude lady at the counter blatantly refused to give me anything, so i told her you will see me again and went home to call the store. After being transferred to every single department lastly to shoes, i had enough. Before i was done, the poor employee that didn't transfer me got such an ear full like you wouldn't believe before a manager finally got on the line. Needless to say, i went back to the store, pool and receipt in hand, back to the very lady that refused my exchange. When i walked through the door, she gave me such a look and started to tell me she was not going...until the manager came flying out of the office and told her rather loudly give me the store credit. As i left the store with the credit voucher, i told her see, told you you'd see me again and have a lovely day!

 

[Duke]

As an aside, while I'm not shy about complaining about poor customer service, I also take the opportunity to recognize good customer service to the employee(s) involved and/or management.

As an example, I witnessed an indignant woman screaming at a sales clerk at a somewhat up-market department store (Macy's) a few years ago. Throughout the encounter, the clerk maintained her composure and remained both professional and courteous. The customer finally gave up and, in a parting shot, loudly recommended the clerk perform an unnatural act.

Later that afternoon I called to speak with the manager about the exchange. He was well aware of it, apparently the aggrieved customer complained, and he seemed very much interested in a bystander's eye/ear witness account. He told me he got very few supportive calls about his employees.

He listened politely, asked a few questions, and thanked me for coming forward. He assured me everything would be taken care of, and even confided the rude customer had been trying to return an article of brand clothing they'd didn’t even sell.

A few weeks later, we were in the store and I noticed a photo of the clerk I'd vouched for on a bulletin board near the store office. Turns out she'd been recognized as employee of the month for her outstanding efforts in customer service. I'd like to think my call was at least partially responsible for her recognition.

 

[garnetsilver]

That's awesome, Duke. As a former customer service employee, I've had my share of rude, screaming people.

When I retired from health care and went into sales, I briefly worked at a Radio Shack. I once had a customer come with a telephone that she wanted to return. She didn't have a receipt, or the original packaging; I strongly suspected that she was short of cash, because there was nothing wrong with the telephone.

I politely told her that we couldn't refund her because we had no idea how much she paid for the phone. She started getting angry and insisting on seeing the manager, promising to get me fired. She seemed upset that I wouldn't get upset too. Fortunately, the manager and I got along fine. I went back to the office and explained, and he said he would handle it.

He came out and gave her a refund. But that wasn't good enough. She started insisting that I had a real attitude problem and that I should be fired. My boss nodded and gave me a fake stern look, while saying "I will certainly deal with her!" After the woman left, we had a good laugh.