Customer Service Rant

[Lil_T]

+1

A lot of jobs are "thankless" and a lot of people put up with crap on a daily basis at work. So I should just lower my expectations of customer service then? I guess not being offered my change back was the result of some other moron customer giving my server a hard time, hmm? I don't think so.

I agree about speaking up about bad customer service, but as it's a regular thing and it's happening all over, I would be using a lot of my own personal time to write and call with complaints. I also suspect that 99% of the time I did so if I did, nothing would come of it anyway. I'd probably just be labeled a difficult customer.  :

I've had that happen a lot when back home in Cape Breton, the Tim's people seem to rely SOOO heavily on tips they just ASSume you're going to tip them.  So I stopped tipping, going so far as to give them exact change when I have it.  They don't like it very much, but I don't like not being given my change.  Case in point, at the Tims in Rockland last week, I bought a bagel, apple juice and water and it came to 3 dollars and change.  handed the window kid a fiver and he never gave me my change so I sat there and said, hey, can I get my change.  You know, that dollar and change you owe me.  After fumbling for a minute with a stunned look on his face he retrieved my money.  fantastic.      also heard a nasty rumour that Tim's employees were "coached" to not give back small change to boost the tip jar.

I have almost come to the point where I want to make it my personal mission to eradicate bad customer service.  And then I snap back to reality and realize that I'm not omnipresent.  <sigh>

 

[Celticgirl]

I've had that happen a lot when back home in Cape Breton, the Tim's people seem to rely SOOO heavily on tips they just ASSume you're going to tip them. 

Did I mention that this was a Tim's in Cape Breton?  ;D

also heard a nasty rumour that Tim's employees were "coached" to not give back small change to boost the tip jar.

It would not surprise me at all if this were true.  :

 

[Lil_T]

let me guess - the George street one by the casino?  (sydney)  they're notorious.

 

[Celticgirl]

let me guess - the George street one by the casino?   (sydney)   they're notorious.

Nope, the Kings Road one.

 

[Lil_T]

ah.. I stand corrected.  Not like it matters, they're all owned by the same guy.   

 

[ringer98]

OK, I  have a brand new one and this literally JUST happened (10mins ago). I ordered a pizza online, then proceeded to drive to the plaza to pick it up. I was early, so I went into the shoppers drug mart to pick up coke and I needed some de-oderant. I found some old-spice on sale for $3.49 so I picked it up. Went to the counter and paid for all of it and the bill came out to $12.40 (two two litre bottles of coke, plus the old spice). I thought it seemed high, so I checked to receipt and sure enough I was charged $6.99 for the de-oderant. Now I honestly must have stood there for about 30 seconds before going back up and saying that someone made a mistake. I went to the same clerk to tell her about it. We checked the isle price and sure enough it was on sale.

When I asked her for the diffrence back, she asks me "you want a refund for $3.50?" and then proceeds to roll her eyes with a sigh and gave me a "I don't want to deal with this look" while waddling herself back to the check-out.

Now at this point, I'm feeling kinda cheap, I mean it's $3.50 but it's also principle right?  If you want to think about it in percentages, I was overcharged 50% for the product. The whole experience made me feel like I was in the wrong, when in fact the store made the mistake.

 

[Kat Stevens]

My response would have gone like this: "You're right, I've decided I don't want any of this stuff. I'll take a full refund."
Then, halfway through the refund process, "Maybe I'll keep just one bottle of Coke, after all."
"No, make that one Coke and the pit stick"
"Changed my mind, just the two Cokes."
"Second thought, just the pit stick."

You can play this game for almost an hour if your timing is right.

 

[ENGINEERS WIFE]

Ringer98, you weren't in the wrong.  She should be willing to do her job properly without the 'tude.
Kat, that reminds me of a story. 
One of our friends, a fellow Engineer, by the way, had a great strategy for the people that phoned him and wanted to come for a 'visit' because they wanted to 'show' him something that could help their lives. 
So, he would set up an appt. on a Friday afternoon, usually after a sport afternoon, and have the vacuum salesperson would show up all happy that he might potentially make a sale.  Little did he know he had just walked into what he would never forget.  A whole house of rowdy, drunk engineers.  But of course they would keep it down to a dull roar until after he had set up so he could not make a hasty retreat if necessary.  But, once he started, they would bring out the big guns.  Mostly by asking impossible engineer questions. And then basically giving him a hard time when he didn't have the answers.
Needless to say, there is some poor vacuum salesman in Oromocto with PTSD.

 

[SprCForr]

My response would have gone like this...

:rofl:
That's exactly what I was thinking.

 

[George Wallace]

OK, I  have a brand new one and this literally JUST happened (10mins ago). I ordered a pizza online, then proceeded to drive to the plaza to pick it up. I was early, so I went into the shoppers drug mart to pick up coke and I needed some de-oderant. I found some old-spice on sale for $3.49 so I picked it up. Went to the counter and paid for all of it and the bill came out to $12.40 (two two litre bottles of coke, plus the old spice). I thought it seemed high, so I checked to receipt and sure enough I was charged $6.99 for the de-oderant. Now I honestly must have stood there for about 30 seconds before going back up and saying that someone made a mistake. I went to the same clerk to tell her about it. We checked the isle price and sure enough it was on sale.

When I asked her for the diffrence back, she asks me "you want a refund for $3.50?" and then proceeds to roll her eyes with a sigh and gave me a "I don't want to deal with this look" while waddling herself back to the check-out.

Now at this point, I'm feeling kinda cheap, I mean it's $3.50 but it's also principle right?  If you want to think about it in percentages, I was overcharged 50% for the product. The whole experience made me feel like I was in the wrong, when in fact the store made the mistake.

Many stores have a policy that if you are charged the wrong price at the cash, you get the item free.  You should have got a 100% refund and the item.  >

 

[soccer08]

Many stores have a policy that if you are charged the wrong price at the cash, you get the item free.  You should have got a 100% refund and the item.   >

I believe that it may even be legislated, however it is up to the individual stores as to whether they want to be a part of it or not.  The retail clothing store that I work at is not a part of it.  So if the price is wrong, they don't get anything extra.

OK, I  have a brand new one and this literally JUST happened (10mins ago). I ordered a pizza online, then proceeded to drive to the plaza to pick it up. I was early, so I went into the shoppers drug mart to pick up coke and I needed some de-oderant. I found some old-spice on sale for $3.49 so I picked it up. Went to the counter and paid for all of it and the bill came out to $12.40 (two two litre bottles of coke, plus the old spice). I thought it seemed high, so I checked to receipt and sure enough I was charged $6.99 for the de-oderant. Now I honestly must have stood there for about 30 seconds before going back up and saying that someone made a mistake. I went to the same clerk to tell her about it. We checked the isle price and sure enough it was on sale.

When I asked her for the diffrence back, she asks me "you want a refund for $3.50?" and then proceeds to roll her eyes with a sigh and gave me a "I don't want to deal with this look" while waddling herself back to the check-out.

Now at this point, I'm feeling kinda cheap, I mean it's $3.50 but it's also principle right?  If you want to think about it in percentages, I was overcharged 50% for the product. The whole experience made me feel like I was in the wrong, when in fact the store made the mistake.

Where I work, if the customer thinks that the price is wrong, then I go and check it.  If it is the store's fault, then I apologize to the customer and at the end of the transaction, I thank them for their patience (most are not too upset).  Even if the customer is mistaken (ie. the sign actually says that it is for a different item), then I let them know, but I still tell them politely and respectfully.  I don't act like that saleslady you dealt with.

 

[George Wallace]

I believe that it may even be legislated, however it is up to the individual stores as to whether they want to be a part of it or not.  The retail clothing store that I work at is not a part of it.  So if the price is wrong, they don't get anything extra.

Mostly seen in Grocery Stores.

Where I work, if the customer thinks that the price is wrong, then I go and check it.  If it is the store's fault, then I apologize to the customer and at the end of the transaction, I thank them for their patience (most are not too upset).  Even if the customer is mistaken (ie. the sign actually says that it is for a different item), then I let them know, but I still tell them politely and respectfully.  I don't act like that saleslady you dealt with.

I have to agree.  Your saleslady had poor customer service and now that you have posted on the internet, thousands have heard of her.  Not what a business owner would like to see.

She should be shown the Customer Relations video "What's Your Pickle?"

 

[GAP]

Hmmmm....the pickle theory actually happen with me today.

Had a new customer come in this week that needed to clean out containers for storing oil. They had a cost fixed in their mind of about $15-$20 / unit. After trying different methods and equipment (which I supplied) the cost still worked out to $35.00 per unit, which made it cost prohibitive for a 1000 units.

I simply set their key to unlimited, and negotiated a price of $30/unit no matter how long it took to clean.....now instead of the 27 they did being the only ones they do, they will wash the entire 1,000 over the winter......a little give and take..

 

[PMedMoe]

;D

 

[Celticgirl]

:rofl:  PMedMoe, that's hilarious!!  ;D

 

[kincanucks]

Ringer98, you weren't in the wrong.  She should be willing to do her job properly without the 'tude.
Kat, that reminds me of a story. 
One of our friends, a fellow Engineer, by the way, had a great strategy for the people that phoned him and wanted to come for a 'visit' because they wanted to 'show' him something that could help their lives. 
So, he would set up an appt. on a Friday afternoon, usually after a sport afternoon, and have the vacuum salesperson would show up all happy that he might potentially make a sale.  Little did he know he had just walked into what he would never forget.  A whole house of rowdy, drunk engineers.  But of course they would keep it down to a dull roar until after he had set up so he could not make a hasty retreat if necessary.  But, once he started, they would bring out the big guns.  Mostly by asking impossible engineer questions. And then basically giving him a hard time when he didn't have the answers.
Needless to say, there is some poor vacuum salesman in Oromocto with PTSD.

So instead of politely telling the person on the phone that he wasn't interested your friend decides to play a trick on the salesman, who is only trying to make a living, a shitty one at that, by feigning interest in the product and then ridiculing the salesman.  Wow sounds like fun, if you are an asshole.

 

[chris_log]

So instead of politely telling the person on the phone that he wasn't interested your friend decides to play a trick on the salesman, who is only trying to make a living, a shitty one at that, by feigning interest in the product and then ridiculing the salesman.  Wow sounds like fun, if you are an *******.

Mmmhmm...it's one thing to be a jerk back to someone who was a jerk to you. But to waste a salesman's time (which is money to him) when he didn't do anything wrong (apparently approaching you to make a sale, in other words doing his job, is wrong) is just plain mean. And rude. Sounds like the actions of someone who lives a mediocre life, and wants to make up for it by making life hell for other people.  :

 

[adaminc]

Oh Walmart, why must you make those self-service checkout machines so infernally stupid!

I was buying stuff to take with me to BMQ, and this machine kept asking me to put stuff into one of there plastic bags, I had my own (well, my Mom's) canvas bag, helping to save the planet! Anyways, the customer service assistant's bright ideas were to either put everything into the plastic bags then into my own bag, or put it into the plastic bag then take it out and put it into my own bag. They need to get rid of that "please place item in bag" crap!

 

[PMedMoe]

Oh Walmart, why must you make those self-service checkout machines so infernally stupid!

I was buying stuff to take with me to BMQ, and this machine kept asking me to put stuff into one of there plastic bags, I had my own (well, my Mom's) canvas bag, helping to save the planet! Anyways, the customer service assistant's bright ideas were to either put everything into the plastic bags then into my own bag, or put it into the plastic bag then take it out and put it into my own bag. They need to get rid of that "please place item in bag" crap!

I believe if you place your reusable bag on the platform where the bags are, the request will stop.  It's just the weight.