Customer Service Snafu

[RandomPrecision]

Too bad you didn't have their name to report them to their boss...

Yeah, that was the only e-mail address I knew for the whole place, and they didn't have any listed on their website other than that one, of course...I figured it would be just as well to let them wallow in their lack of customer satisfaction.

 

[eabha]

Wow! I have to say that I'm amazed by the tolerance of bad customer service here...

Yeah, me too.

Okay, so it wasn't out-and-out rude. It was, however, utterly unprofessional, in both tone and content.

While I don't appreciate the insincerity I hear from many businesses, it wouldn't make me any happier to be told that I was the only one complaining. The implication is that I don't matter.

And customers want to matter. They want to be listened to and appreciated.

For every complaint a business receives there are many other customers who don't complain. They simply stop coming in.

I don't think that there is anything more important than responding appropriately to customer concerns. They are the reason for your business.

Anyhow, I teach customer service skills, and I think I just found Monday morning's lesson...

 

[Darth K'Trava]

Yeah, me too.

Okay, so it wasn't out-and-out rude. It was, however, utterly unprofessional, in both tone and content.

I agree. Totally unprofessional.

While I don't appreciate the insincerity I hear from many businesses, it wouldn't make me any happier to be told that I was the only one complaining. The implication is that I don't matter.

And customers want to matter. They want to be listened to and appreciated.

And the customer should come first. No matter what. They should matter, even if they're acting like an ass (which the original poster wasn't). You should listen to and show them respect.

For every complaint a business receives there are many other customers who don't complain. They simply stop coming in.

Or they go to another store in the chain and gripe about how "rude store x was to me". I've heard that alot...

I don't think that there is anything more important than responding appropriately to customer concerns. They are the reason for your business.

Yup. I agree.

Anyhow, I teach customer service skills, and I think I just found Monday morning's lesson...

Sounds like a lesson plan!!

 

[twofalls]

Well I have to say I'm relieved to see that so many folks do in fact see things the way that I did. After I received the first few responses to this post I was ready to just throw my hands up and figure that the gaming community must be used to awful customer service and so had bargain basement ideas of what to expect from folks who are running a business, particularly one that provides luxury items to the public (which games are).

My wife has been given awards for her CS skills (voted employee of the year once out of a large public service division because of them even). She told me last night that it was because of an angry customer spouting off at her on the phone that very day that decided her to respond with her email. She had handled the situation and that customer had left her happy. It can take a bit out of a person to shrug off the anger of a customer, get to the root of an issue and find a resolution. I wasn't angry when I wrote my letter, and I really wasn't angry when I read the response sent, just kind of put off.

I was talking to Yancey earlier today and told him that I think its an excellent example of how valuable good customer service relations people are.

 

[The_lurkeR]

Just wanted to chime in my agreement Twofalls, Dr Niles, and Yancey. The reply was definately poor and unprofessional. It sounds like your wife deserves a pat on the back.

Like it's been said, a true business owner should realize when a loyal customer tells you their observations of something. It's a big indicator that many other not so loyal customers are thinking the same thing and just walking away. At the very least he could have been polite and thanked you for your input, but explained that change probably won't be coming soon. Instead he definately turned defensive and tried to prove you wrong somehow and say your opinion didn't matter.

Sad, but not totally unexpected these days, when large chains like Best Buy actively teach their employees that CS is not job 1.

 

[Nifft]

I agree with this. Particularly his comment, "I am not sure what are you are looking at." That really implies "because there isn't anything that you're describing."

... or "I honestly don't see what I think you're describing."

The reply isn't professional -- it's honest, conversational, open, real.

The guy's reply seems to be treating you as an equal. I find that refreshing. YMMV, of course.

Anyway, whatever. -- N

 

[der_kluge]

I gotta side with the others here. Twofalls, show me the sarcasm in his email, cause I sure ain't seeing it. It was a perfectly valid response, IMHO.

 

[RangerWickett]

I just left a job from a grocery store, and now I'm starting a job at a library. I think customer service is ridiculously important in any job where you're providing a good or service. While it's true that "We understand your concerns and appreciate you speaking to us" replies are old and stale, that does not mean that customer service should be lacking respect.

Here's the crux of the deal, as I see it. Twofalls sent an email in that was a comment as a customer. He said politely that, as a customer, he had issues with the site's layout. The man who replied either replied casually or rudely. Either way, he was non-professional. Reread the first reply from the company. He says that he's not going to do anything about his customer's concern, and he doesn't even apologize for being unable to help. That is what's bad customer service.

It's easy to be polite without sounding insincere. How's this?

I don't want to sound like I'm ignoring your concern, but so far you're one of only a few who have expressed a problem, and no one so far has proposed any solutions. Most of the replies have been positive.

I am not sure where the problems you're talking about are. The shopping cart has clear images for each product and has clear descriptions on the same sub-page as the images. You might be looking at the on-line text catalog which was never designed to include pictures and doesn't need them because it's for people with slower connections. As for the product descriptions, I agree that it would be nice to get some up for customers to see. It's on my list of things to do, but to be honest I am so far behind on so many lists of things to do that I won't be able to fix it any time soon.

If there was some other problem that you meant that I did not understand, please let me know. It's always great to hear from a fan.

Compare to the actual reply:

Actually, you pretty much are the only one complaining. We just went
through a total revamp a few months ago and have had hundreds of
memos of praise since then. I think you may be the second or third to
complain since last February but you might be the first. One guy did
post on the BBS some suggested changes but all he got in response was
12 other people each with their own totally different ideas and
nobody really having a problem with leaving it alone.

I am not sure what are you are looking at. The shopping cart has
clear images for each product and has clear descriptions on the same
sub-page as the images. You might be looking at the on-line text
catalog which was never designed to include pictures and doesn't need
them because of what it is (purely text for those who want it that
way).

Bottom line is 300 people saying it's functional and user friendly
and one or two or three saying it isn't. Sadly, I am so far behind on
so many lists of things to do that I don't get to do things that only
a couple of people want done when I have things to do that 1,000
people want to buy.

Which one is more respectful to the customer?

 

[Darrin Drader]

I found the guy's tone to be unprofessional. I would have been shocked if anyone would have sent out such an abrupt response from WotC customer service. While the guy may be thinking that you're either a crack smoker of a perfectionist, the least he could say is that he values your feedback.

 

[twofalls]

I gotta side with the others here. Twofalls, show me the sarcasm in his email, cause I sure ain't seeing it. It was a perfectly valid response, IMHO.

Hey Der Kludge, if you look a few posts up I agreed that I used the wrong descriptor, sarcasm doesn't fit. Insofar as it being a valid response, sure okay. I could tell you to take a long run off a short board as well... that would be a valid response to your post, but hardly a polite one (thats not me being passive agressive here, I am just using it as an example). Anyhow, you are hardly in a minority, there are number of folks here who think that the Game Designer was perfectly correct in his response. It seems a lot of us who object to his tone actually work(ed) in the customer service field.

RangerWickett, thanks for the style of your post, that was an excellent way to make the argument.