What Customer Service?

[David Brent]

I'm sure its something that irks many people.
You have a problem - you have to contact the dreaded Customer Service.:mad:

Recently I tried to redeem a gift card while making an online DVD purchase with a well known Australian retail company.
Problem was that when I entered the gift cards numbers on the order a message popped up saying that my card "did not have a balance".
As I'd never used the card before I thought this very strange.
So, I had to contact the companies Customer Service section. This could only be done through a contact message on the companies website. I relayed the complete details and problem to them. Five days later I had still not heard from them. I returned to the website and sent another message.

I received a short email reply next day asking me to contact a company who supplied the gift cards. This I did. They told me they couldn't help me and...guess what?
They advised me to contact the retailers customer service.

As the customer service email I had received gave no one's name and stated "Please do not reply to this email. This email was sent from an unattended mailbox" I had to once again return to the stores website and fill out yet ANOTHER contact message on the website. Of course I had to write out all the necessary details again!!!
Three days have passed and I have not yet received another reply.
Ever get the feeling that you're being given the runaround?
Customer service? What customer service?

Dave.

[Steve Crook]

Originally Posted by David Brent I'm sure its something that irks many people. You have a problem - you have to contact the dreaded Customer Service.:mad: Recently I tried to redeem a gift card while making an online DVD purchase with a well known Australian retail company. Problem was that when I entered the gift cards numbers on the order a message popped up saying that my card "did not have a balance". As I'd never used the card before I thought this very strange. So, I had to contact the companies Customer Service section. This could only be done through a contact message on the companies website. I relayed the complete details and problem to them. Five days later I had still not heard from them. I returned to the website and sent another message. I received a short email reply next day asking me to contact a company who supplied the gift cards. This I did. They told me they couldn't help me and...guess what? They advised me to contact the retailers customer service. As the customer service email I had received gave no one's name and stated "Please do not reply to this email. This email was sent from an unattended mailbox" I had to once again return to the stores website and fill out yet ANOTHER contact message on the website. Of course I had to write out all the necessary details again!!! Three days have passed and I have not yet received another reply. Ever get the feeling that you're being given the runaround? Customer service? What customer service? Dave.

Don't bother with the muppets that answer the phones/emails or are behind the counter at the store - go straight to the top

Steve

[David Brent]

Originally Posted by Steve Crook Don't bother with the muppets that answer the phones/emails or are behind the counter at the store - go straight to the top Steve

I agree with your sentiment Steve but first you have to find the buggers.
There always seems to be an endless maze of faceless, nameless staff that you have to deal with who seem trained to erect a barrier to thwart any efforts you make to reach the top man/woman.
Do any of those people "at the top" ever read or reply to their own mail these days?
Its usually passed back onto the muppetts.

Dave.

[Jackdaw]

A good trick, if you can pull it off Dave, is to write to the CEO at his home address.
That really p*sses them off, and a good result is guaranteed!
If not, find out his name and write to him at the company, marking the envelope,'personal'.
Failing that, chain yourself to their premises and threaten them with self-immolation.

No need to thank me.
Jacky

[intelligence]

Basic reason of such problem is that most of the organization has outsourced their customer support to other countries, their customer care rep are not skilled that much to tackle a customer, I think they need to take a hard look to their frontline staff to evaluate each querry and their responses and take appropriate arrangement to avoid such negligence.