In which we are vexed...

[jesshartley]

One of my biggest pet peeves - Don't tell me that /I/ did or did not do something when it is not true. Especially as a customer service person, do not tell me I did not call or speak to someone in your department simply based on whether there is a record made of it in my account. I've worked customer service too often not to know that just because a rep didn't note a call doesn't mean it didn't happen. And I /hate/ being called a liar (essentially) or being told third hand that I "could not" have done something simply because their department didn't make note of it.

My cell phone broke on the 22nd. I have insurance, so I called and they told me they'd send me out a replacement within 1 to 2 business days. They also said that I would have to sign for it, so I went out of my way to make certain I was home the next day.  Mid-day, the Viking backed the car out of the garage to go somewhere and ran /over/ the phone, which had been left propped against the garage door, in the path a car would have to take to back out. Now, to a certain degree, I don't blame the delivery person. The walks up to the front and back door are not cleared (we've just had too much on and off snow to keep them cleared, and we come and go out of the garage, so it's the clearest path. But why put it in the direct path of a vehicle, rather than to the side? And why not at least make an attempt to get someone's attention to deliver it, since we had a /house/ full of people?

Anywho, I called on the 23rd, explained the situation, was bounced from warranty to insurance, explained it again, and the guy said he'd send me out a replacement for the replacement within 1-2 business days. This was a Friday, so I didn't really expect it until yesterday or today. But as it's already 2, I called to see why it hadn't arrived yet. The bozo on the other end of the line said that I hadn't ("couldn't have") talked to insurance (I had double checked, as they tend to send you to warranty first, so I /know/ I talked to insurance and not some other department.) Then he was hostile-polite to me the entire call. When I asked for clarification, he acted like I was a child, and when I repeated back my understanding of the situation, he huffed "Yes, now can we continue?" None of it was anything I could call him on with a supervisor, as it was that passive agressive "overly polite words but bitchy intonation" stuff that you can't prove, but I'm just /seething/.

And now, it's 2-3 business days before I'll have a phone again.

So, I guess this is a long way of saying "if you've tried to call, I haven't received it, and I'm likely in a bad mood so be warned."

Comments

[noxenlux.livejournal.com]

*hugs*

I know how you feel on that one.

[tonysalieri.livejournal.com]

Ack hon! Sorry to hear about your struggle against idiotic idiots! *hug*

[ulaliya.livejournal.com]

Oh my God, I hate cell phone companies. I had a similar experience a few months ago when my phone shattered, literally SHATTERED, when I opened it less than a month after the warranty ran out. Believe me, I didn't give up on that one after a first contact attempt and a form letter response. Oh no. I e-mailed every contact in the company that I could find and told them that I was very unhappy with their customer service and crappy phone. I told them that my family and friends would not be buying from their company in the future and politely mentioned that I would be writing several honest product/company reviews expressing my opinion.

A few days later I had a new, better phone. With a camera.

Hooray for America.

[celticboy.livejournal.com]

*Passes you a clue-by-four* Just smack them upside the head with this.

and yeah, I worked tech support for 3 different companies, customer service for 2 and can vouch for the "no record" thing. Especially when you get a arsey customer who won't tell you who they are.

Coyote gives you a big hug and

[irishcoyote.livejournal.com]

nominates you for the Mercury Retrograde award.

Poor dear.

[alruff.livejournal.com]

I just had a similar experience with WolfCamera.com.

You see, I wanted to buy a NAS (network attached storage) for the office. When it got here, the driver disc was cracked. Since I'm a stickler for hard copies of drivers, I wanted a new disc. Iomega, the maker of the drive, was unreachable.

That changed things. Now I wanted a different brand of drive entirely. Any company with support that bad wouldn't be there for us during a catastrophic crash. We're a business, so we must be running at all times.

I called up Wolf Camera and they said that they would send me an RMA (return merchandise authorization), and that I would get a refund. "Sweet," I thought. "One less thing to deal with."

My boss asked me to head down to the electronics store and pick out a replacement by hand, since we needed the drive THAT WEEKEND.

So it was spoken, and so it came to pass.

I installed the new drive and it worked great. A week and a half passed and still no word from Wolf. I began to call them daily, requesting an RMA, getting ornery with them for the hold-up. We had seven hundred company dollars tied up in that device, and I wasn't about to just let it slide. Finally, they called me back.

"As per the terms of our refund policy, we can't refund your money on that device."

To recount the facts:
1) The device was not specifically listed in their vaguely-worded refund policy.
2) They promised me an RMA, and by extension, a refund.
3) Both they and I had paperwork pursuant to a refund, and thus, proof of a promissory action taken by agents of Wolf Camera.

So I sent them an e-mail spelling it out, but by this time, my rep in my office had taken a big hit. Our accountant was all over me, calling me out for being a sucker. My boss was pissed. Our office manager informed me that my handling of the situation was "unacceptable."

But you know what? After my e-mail to their legal department, call center and customer support centers, I have the RMA I wanted.

I simply had to go through Hell to fetch it.

[sheriffjoe.livejournal.com]

We luv ya anyway dear!!! Just be mad...cause you deserve to be. In fact, I would have asked for his supervisor anyway...and tell that supervisor just how polite-bitchy his little drama queen of a service rep was being....asked if he needed some extra gossamer wings to help calm his little fairy-rep and told him that next time a customer called and received that kind of "help," I'd take it directly to the next level up!!!

Joe don't play that game...you're hired to assist, not be bitchy. Just my three copper pennies.

Now, back to job hunting. Whee.....