Customer Service?

[broccoli]

My understanding of this term is based on running a successful business with happy smiling customers who appreciate that they are paying not just for a product but a package based on service.

Having placed a pre order on the net a month ago for some goods that have just been released for sale, I receive an email saying that there is a problem with my credit card details. As I was busy, I replied requesting a phone call to resolve the matter. The response: Thank you for your e-mail. As we are an online company, we deal with queries via email, what was the query, I can then assist you further.

Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience caused. If you have any further issues, please do not hesitate to contact me.

The query was at the foot of the email as said young lady obviously hadn’t taken the time to have a look.

Anyway an appropriately worded email of complaint has been returned to the unnamed high street company.

So, why is it in this day and age that internet / large organisations have the holier than thou attitude and think this is the norm?

AArrrghh.

[CarZee]

indeed - I (ahem) documented a similar experience of mine here recently..

Very very annoying...

[DrSeuss]

I'm currently having similar hassles with a company from whom I tried to buy some printer cartridges online. My credit card payment was taken, but no cartridges arrived. After over a month of emailing them, phoning them and leaving messages (they never answer their phone, of course), I finally got a curt email back saying they sent the cartridges out, and they must have got lost in the post, so tough luck. I'm now pursuing them via their local Trading Standards as well as the third-party company who provide their credit card facilities. It's only a low-value order, but this has really got my goat. If they weren't 400 miles away, I'd pay them a visit in person.

Asking around friends and colleagues has revealed several more tales of Internet traders providing utterly sh*te customer service like this.

IMHO online shopping is a great thing when it works, but there are still too many idiots out there who wouldn't have the skills to run a 'bricks and mortar' business, but can just about manage to set up a website and take payments. However, when it comes to managing their supply chain and communicating with the customer, they haven't a clue.

[broccoli]

Had a quick look at that CarZee, the main problem I see with these companies is that they don’t or wont change from their fixed guidelines of practice. The staff are employed to work by the book and common sense is frowned upon. Its no wonder so many Internet companies have gone by the wayside, its because these entrepreneurs with their bucket loads of cash have forgotten the fundamental requirement that any business has - customers. Sh*t on them and they walk.

[CarZee]

quote:The staff are employed to work by the book and common sense is frowned upon.

This is an all to prevalent phenomenon.... over-proceduralise your working practices and you remove not just latitude but the inclination of staff to think for themselves...

In exactly the same way, when you over-regulate roads, people don't think for themselves and end up driving like numpties because the sheer tedium of adherance drives one to just switch off and stop thinking altogether.

[moreymach]

The problem is most companies dont want the cost of training staff to a competent level, much easier to give a set of rules which must be adheared to than give somone the knowledge to make their own decisions according to circumstances. This attitude seems at its worst with internet companies where tehy can deal with customers at arms lenght with no chance of them turning up on the doorstep and doing some 'table thumping'.. dont reckon call centres are much better though

>> Edited by moreymach on Friday 6th September 10:50

>> Edited by moreymach on Friday 6th September 10:50