Most companies - No Customer Service

[celabinc]

I guess I am not the only one that thinks customer service is no longer there

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505143_162-57610803/most-companies-fail-customer-service-test/

[artmart]

I don't think there's anyone who doesn't think customer service has been on the decline. I don't need any study to tell me that. I based it on personal experience. On the other hand, I also remember the good experiences I've had but those times don't get near the airtime since it's what's normal and expected. Realizing that the media spends more time on sensualization than positive stories unless they are way unusual, I don't care much for what the media has to say.

I think the better we learn to handle the bad service makes us a better customer. We forget that the selfish, high expectation customer often becomes the selfish, high-expectation service person not wanting to deal with same demands they expect.

And we're making these posts in this forum for what reason? You don't have to like what's happening in the world, you just have to learn to deal and live with it and sometimes that includes lowering your expectations.

[xavier]

Ha, ha, ha, I like that.

What? You don't like the customer service you are getting? Just lower your expectations

[cdimaggio]

You usually are treated the way *you* treat people. If you call customer support and you start with "I bought this piece of junk... and you should be ashamed to be selling this..." and so on, interlaced with other expletives, well how do you think the person at the other end of the line will respond?

[Camper22]

I agree with you, cdimaggio. Not always, but most of the time customer service is like a mirror. The service you get reflects the treatment you dish out.

[artmart]

Amen to you for that... and for you non-religious types.... Yessiree, fer sure.

[NoPatience]

Amen^2 to that

A specific support call comes to mind, from my younger days, that makes me chuckle every time I think of it. I was supporting a software product for "DOS", yes, it was that long ago The customers calls in and it went something like this (the details are starting to fade)...

Customer: I need to return this product and get my money back, right away.
Me: Sir, we provide support for many different products, which one are you referring to?
Customer: Oh, yeah, product XYZ
Me: I'll be more than happy to look into that sir, do you have an order #, so I can look up the record?
Customer: Yes, Order # 12345
Me: Hmm... I see here that you got this product a little over a year ago.
Customer: Yes, but I didn't use it until last night, I just got my computer running Windows 95
Me: I understand, but we have a 60-day return policy. Furthermore, did you try to install it on your new computer?
Customer: Yes, and it doesn't work, it tells me it needs DOS
Me: Indeed, this is a "DOS" product, it should actually say that right on the box "Requirements: DOS 3.2 OS"
Customer: Well, I wanted to use it with my Windows System. The box didn't say it will not work with Windows.
Me: You are right, it didn't, but it also didn't say it will run in Windows, anywhere!
Customer: I don't care, I wanted it for Windows and I got Windows and it won't work, so I need a refund.
Me: Sir, I cannot authorize a return, you purchased this product 14 months ago.
Customer: Is this how you take care of your customers? I will tell all my friends about your policies.
Me: Sir, if you want, I'll can transfer you to a supervisor and see what they can do, I can't authorize the return.
Customer: No, there is no need, you took my ^%^%#% money and now you are giving me the run-around.
Me: Sir, 14 months ago you bought a DOS program and you now want a refund because it won't run in Windows. That's not reasonable.
Customer: Don't tell me about *%#$&^ reasonable, you little ^%&^@%&, what's not reasonable is that you took my money for this!
Me: Sire, there is no need for profanity, I can transfer you to my supervisor, if you want.
Customer: No, don't *&^#$* transfer me to anyone. I will tell everyone about you and your &%@#$% company, you'll see.
Me: [Click] We had been instructed to warn abusive customers and hang-up if they continued. We didn't have to take the abuse.

I think the customer may still be spreading bad words about the company Had he been a bit more "cordial", if I transferred him to my supervisor, he may have gotten the refund (though I still think he shouldn't have)

[Stan_Finke]

Yeah, but many of us have experiences with customer support where we were treated like c*ap. It's not all one way, you know.

[onAmission]

I'm with you, Stan_Finke. I particularly hate it when companies sell you something and then will not support it. And this is a lot more prevalent with computer software. You buy a product for Windows Vista, then a couple of years later windows 7 comes out and the program will not run correctly. When you contact the software company their excuse is, "well that version was for Windows Vista, Windows 7 was not out yet. We do have a version for Windows 7 that you can purchase, if you want."

That should be illegal. If you buy something, you should be able to use it will all versions of Windows.

[artmart]

onAmission,

You're humorous, how come you don't complain like this when you buy a car? Why don't you expect that you can send your car back to your dealer every year and have them put in all the new model year features as a free upgrade.

You need to get some education in Sales & Marketing and how it works. Long ago, the computer industry did not do any upgrades for free and from some customer pressure and the industry technology providing the ability to provide easier and practical way to update things, now you think this should apply 100%. Get real and get some education on how things are, how they got there and why YOU must adjust when it applies or doesn't.

[Macaco]

That should be illegal. If you buy something, you should be able to use it will all versions of Windows.

Seriously? And if you bought a product for Windows 3.1 (in 1990, let's say), how could they have made that product run on 64-bit Windows 8 that had not even been thought of yet? Or, should they make sure that Windows 8 didn't do anything different or better than Windows 3.1, so that the program you bought then, would run just fine.

That's not rational thinking, in my book.

[onAmission]

Artmart, Macaco:

I don't understand why you are getting so uptight about this! You may not agree with me, but that doesn't mean you are right! I bet most users users here would rather they didn't have to buy a brand new device if they one they have is functioning just right, simply because a new operating system was released.

Just because we sigh and do it, anyway, it doesn't mean it's right!

[artmart]

I based my comments on facts, not opinion. Just because you have an opinion, doesn't make it right. Ignorance usually makes bad opinions, so I'm trying to help you understand how things work. Your general opinion does not work with so many REAL world facts. I was just trying to help you out that this particular opinion just might need some rethinking to develop a better opinion.

Remember, if what you say is true, we'd have plenty of music stores, still around selling tapes and video stores selling VHS, but it's not as profitable any more. Things get obsoleted all the time, so while your opinion is nice, it's not only not reasonable, it isn't ever gonna exist. Because it stops progress it's not gonna happen. That DeLorme puck became obsolete, if you don't like it, write the driver yourself then add up the time and money it took to do it and you'll have your counterargument facts to your own opinion.