Well since you asked…more bad customer service

Yesterday, Jenny aka The Bloggess,  posted an email conversation she had with Brandlink Communications LLC.. You can read the whole conversation HERE.  And I recommend you do read it because it’s quite funny.

Brandlink Communications LLC  is a PR company that pitches to bloggers and such, claiming that by using their PR service, they will get more advertisers, resulting in more hits.  Not many bloggers rely on advertisers to help run their blog. Those that do usually use advertisers who’s content is relative to the blog.

What makes this post a bad customer service post is what happens after Jenny sends her usual spam response form. Which again, I advise you to read. It is a true gift of gab that takes paragraphs to come to the point. And the point is; “Here is something you didn’t want in response for sending me something I didn’t want.”
Jenny receives an email calling her  a “f*cking b*tch”. By VP Media Director Jose Martinez  no less. In all honestly , Jose hit reply all which is the bane of my existence too but that doesn’t excuse his level of un professionalism nor the fact he decides to engage in an email and twitter war with Jenny, using the excuse, “Well, YOU started it first.”

Is it a wonder people have no confidence in customer service anymore? The level of self entitlement is astronomical. It’s as though we (the customers) should be grateful that they even condescend to talk to us. And heaven forbid you become negative with them. Last week I had an upper level mgr of Sprint tell me the buck stopped with her (she has since found out it didn’t) and she didn’t care if I stayed a customer or not. Now we have companies insulting us BEFORE we even become customers of theirs. It use to be that companies wanted us to be with them. Now they have all become complacent; figuring that we need them more then they need us.

Guess what? We don’t.

Just say NO

Over the last few months I have been the victim of bad customer service. My cell phone seems to not like where I live anymore. When I have explained the problem to the respective company I am astonished with the lack of empathy that was expressed. I was made to feel that I should be pleased that they designed to lower themselves to provide me with said services and complaining just makes me a bad customer.
As a business owner myself (over 10 yrs) I have a high level of expectations for myself and my customer service skills. I know that my buyers are my meal ticket. I NEED them-they don’t need me. There are too many people out there lining up to take my customers. One of the first things I as ever taught with the first company I worked for was that 85% of customers just want empathy. They want to know you care about their problem. You don’t have to agree with them, but you should at least listen. I have garnered a lot of crap over this attitude. I have been told I show weakness when I say I’m sorry or cater to a customer. Really? It’s weak to tell someone who handed me over their hard earned money that I understand their frustration? That I acknowledge their anger and will try my very best to help them? Maybe it is weakness; but this so called “weakness” has established me a repeat buyer base of over 20 percent. And that’s nothing to sneeze at.
This brings me to my problems last week. Sprint, a company I have been with for home phone in the past and cellular service now is not empathic. They bought out Nextel a while back and frankly, I now remember why I dropped their home phone service. They just don’t care. My cell phone service has been erratic to say the least over a year long period. Dropped calls, no service, missed calls and voice mails. Missing emails, unreliable apps. I don’t even want to talk about the bricking that occurs when I have to update. *sigh* When I talked to Sprint they did inform me that they were phasing out the Nextel towers and that maybe the problem. Maybe? Your not sure? Their solution? Buy a new Sprint phone, convert, and sign up for an additional 2 years

Excuse me?

You mean I have to pay you MORE money in order to get the service you promised in the contract I signed? And stay with you two more years? Because it’s so good right now? My mother got involved (we share a family plan) and she  escalated up the chain to speak to a high level manager. My advice right off the bat? She needs customer service training pronto. According to her, she would rather lose our business then give me a $50 credit to buy a Sprint phone. Then she informed us I should have never gotten a phone in the first place because service in my area is bad.

Huh? 

So your saying your company sold me a phone and contract knowing it probably wouldn’t work? Needless to say she feel back on another old customer service trick that if the customer is argumentative, simply repeat what you will give them and say nothing more. She also had the audacity to inform us when we asked for her boss that she didn’t have one. Really? So we're talking to the CEO of Sprint? Funny, because I’m pretty sure HE is a man. She also said she couldn’t give out the complaint department’s address. Yes, she actually said that she wasn’t allowed to. Lucky for us, I found the numbers, names and addresses I needed on line while she was blowing smoke up our arses.

My whole point in this is that the customers come first.  When someone gives you their hard earned money, you need to make sure you give them what they paid for. Attitude and threats should play no part. They may not be right but your job isn’t to let them know that. I’m not saying you should bend over and kiss it all goodbye; but sometimes a simple, “I understand your problem and will try to help,” will make all difference. Had Sprint said that at anytime, I would not be sitting here drafting letters to the FCC, my attorney general, and the BBB. I no longer want to work with this company and will doing all I can to sever my relationship with them.

In this crappy economy, there are to many people who want my business for me to put up with bad customer service.

WTH Wednesday-Ebay Strikes Again

As you all know, I sell on Ebay. I've been with ebay for over 10 years even though I recently started my  own website. But I still stay with Ebay because nobody (yet) beats ebay for the traffic.
I also stay with Ebay because I could NEVER get the comedic material from any other site.
Ebay ranks high in traffic but also in complete asshat-ness.
I have dealt with their customer service for years and am always amazed that each time I deal with them their service gets crappier and crappier. I mean really they should have hit rock bottom by now but no...apparently there are levels below that.
Recently a fellow seller posted a "conversation" with Ebay customer service and I have to admit, her experience has mine beat by a mile.
So for WTH Wednesday I bring you a typical phone call between an Ebay seller and Ebay customer service.

Thanks lady*georges for letting me share this on WTH Wednesday.You rock girlfriend!!

Louise - eBay:
Hi lady*georges! I’m Louise and I’m here to answer your questions about eBay. How can I help you?
lady*georges:
Hi, I have a seller for whom I had opened an 'item not as described' case, and won. The case number is 500138922. Both seller and myself are in the US, although item was bid on through eBay UK, as I was browsing eBay UK when Item was bid upon.
Louise - eBay:
I'm afraid I didn't understand your question, please can you ask it more simply?
lady*georges:
I mention the US, because I have a USPS delivery confirmation which I can provide now if need be. The item was returned to the seller on April 14. They have still not refunded me.
Louise - eBay:
I'm afraid I didn't understand your question, please can you ask it more simply?
lady*georges:
More simply - I have won a case against a seller, and they still have not refunded me.
Louise - eBay:
Which of the following best matches your question?
- How do I reimburse the buyer?
- I won an item. What should I do now?
- How can I contact a seller?
- How do I open an eBay case?
lady*georges:
I am afraid that none of those best match my question, please see my last post.
Louise - eBay:
Please can you rephrase your question so that I can try to provide you with the information you need?
lady*georges:
I have not been reimbursed for a case won.
Louise - eBay:
Which of the following best matches your question?
- What is the relist credit policy?
- How do I open an eBay case?
- How do I reimburse the buyer?
- How can I be refunded for eBay fees?
- My item is not as described in the listing. I want a refund
lady*georges:
None
Louise - eBay:
Ok then, perhaps you could tell me in another way what you're looking for?
lady*georges:
What recourse do I have when a seller will not refund me after they have lost a dispute case?
Louise - eBay:
If you paid for something but didn't receive it, or it was significantly different from the item description, you should first contact the seller to try to resolve the situation. Have you contacted the seller yet?
-Yes
-No
lady*georges:
Please read the following carefully.
Louise - eBay:
Please click yes or no. Have you contacted the seller yet?
-Yes
-No
lady*georges:
Yes Louise - eBay:
To report a problem with your seller, go to the Resolution Centre in My eBay and select the appropriate option to open a case. You need to do this within 45 days of paying for your item.

If you paid with PayPal, eBay's Buyer protection programme may apply to your purchase. If it does, you will receive a full refund of the purchase price and postage costs. If you paid using another payment method, you may still be covered.

Sellers accepting credit card payments through an Internet merchant account do not offer their own buyer protection plans, but most credit cards offer buyer protection. You can find the customer support phone number on your bill or on the back of the credit card.

Take our tutorial on buying safely on eBay
Louise - eBay:
Please help us improve eBay by telling us about your experience. Would you like to participate in a short survey?
lady*georges:
Are you willing to read my next posts if I send one sentance at a time?
Louise - eBay:
Which of the following best matches your question?
- How do I print a postage label?
- How can I determine shipping costs?
- I think that postage and packaging charges are high.
lady*georges:
I bought an item
Louise - eBay:
Which of the following best matches your question?
- I won an item. What should I do now?
lady*georges:
When I got that item, it was significantly not as described
Louise - eBay:
I believe I'm about to give you the same answer. Would you like me to show it to you again?
lady*georges:
I contacted seller, no recourse
Louise - eBay:
To report a problem with your seller, go to the Resolution Centre in My eBay and select the appropriate option to open a case. You need to do this within 45 days of paying for your item.

If you paid with PayPal, eBay's Buyer protection programme may apply to your purchase. If it does, you will receive a full refund of the purchase price and postage costs. If you paid using another payment method, you may still be covered.

Sellers accepting credit card payments through an Internet merchant account do not offer their own buyer protection plans, but most credit cards offer buyer protection. You can find the customer support phone number on your bill or on the back of the credit card.

Take our tutorial on buying safely on eBay


Louise - eBay:
Please help us improve eBay by telling us about your experience. Would you like to participate in a short survey?
lady*georges:
I opened a case
Louise - eBay:
What's the issue with your transaction?
-I haven't received my item yet.
-I received an item that doesn't match the seller's description.
-I haven't received my payment yet.
lady*georges:
eBay solved case in my favor.
Louise - eBay:
I believe I'm about to give you the same answer. Would you like me to show it to you again?
lady*georges:
The item was sent back to seller.
Louise - eBay:
Which of the following best matches your question?
- How do I reimburse the buyer?
- How can I contact a seller?
- Should I offer a returns policy?
- Can I return an item?
lady*georges:
With delivery confirmation
Louise - eBay:
Which of the following best matches your question?
- I didn't receive the confirmation email to change my email address
- I'm not receiving emails from eBay
lady*georges:
Since April 14
Louise - eBay:
Which of the following best matches your question?
- What new features have been introduced in April?
- What has changed with the eBay site?
lady*georges:
I have not been refunded.
Louise - eBay:
Which of the following best matches your question?
- How do I reimburse the buyer?
lady*georges:
Are you going to help me with this issue. I am ready to gouge my eye out with a fork.
Louise - eBay:
Which of the following best matches your question?
- How do I report a technical problem on the eBay site?

 *After this you hear a *thud*thud*thud* sound. That is lady*george hitting her head on her desk.

What's sad is there is no technical problems. It's pretty much like that everytime you call.